A Fox Among Tamers
by Aarik076
Summary: His past a hellish nightmare, what will he do when he finds himself in another world? Will he succumb to his hatred, or rise above it with the help of a certain vixen?
1. And thus it begins

**Alright guys and gals, this is my first story I've started on fanfiction (or anywhere for that matter), so I hope you enjoy it. Be forewarned, some characters will be OOC, but they will have valid reasons for such. Also, I will try to get my facts as straight as I can get them, but with this being a fanfiction story, at lease a moderate amount will be made up by yours truly. Constructive criticism greatly appreciated, and to all would be flamers out there: if you want to, feel free, it just amps up my review count and gets a good chuckle out of me :P. ~Aarik076**

"**You want me to talk into what?**" – Kyuubi speaking, jutsus/digimon attacks

"Get that thing out of my face!" – Normal speaking

'_What the hell was that thing?_' – Thoughts/thinking

**Disclaimer : I do not own anything associated or belonging to Naruto or Digimon.**

**-And thus it begins-**

In the elemental countries there lie five great shinobi nations, each with its own unique geography which aids each nation's given specialty. Sunagakure no Sato(Village Hidden Among Sand) is situated in the middle of a desert, buffeted by high winds which in turn aid their wind-based attacks. Kirigakure no Sato(Village Hidden in Mist) is surrounded by the ocean and many small islands, giving their water-based attacks a clear advantage. Kumogakure no sato(Village Hidden in the Clouds) is situated on a high mountain, literally being hidden in clouds, and thus acting as a massive lightning rod for their lightning-based attacks. Iwagakure no Sato(Village Hidden Among the Rocks) finds itself surrounded by, but not on top of the mountains, thus giving their earth-based attacks superiority. And lastly there is Konohagakure no Sato(Village Hidden in the Leaves), and supposedly the most powerful of the five.

The reasons for this are many but for those whom reside in Konoha, they claim (with a good amount of pride) that the source behind their power is their camaraderie, for they claim that although the mission is of great importance, the first priority goes towards protecting their comrades. With this said, one would think that a place in which people are priority before all else would be an ideal place to live. Whilst this is true for the majority of the populous, not all are comfortable or safe within its walls.

For you see, like the motto of shinobi "look underneath the underneath", things are not as kind as the people within Konoha's walls claim to be. In fact, in a moment an act will occur which will render their claims useless and show the true views of the majority within Konoha, and unfortunately such an act will be wrought unto a boy no older than the tender age of five. But enough of this blathering, the story is his to tell, and I've bored you long enough.

His legs muscles burned as he weaved throughout the streets and back alleys of the village but he knew he could not stop, for if he did he would be condemning himself. The reason? Once again, he somehow managed to draw the ire of the villagers, and as per the norm, where one gave chase the others soon followed like a mob of lemmings, but these lemmings were armed with anything they could grab, be it boards, broken bottles, or in the case of the ninja in the crowd, kunai and shuriken.

'_Shit shit shit! Why in the world did I think it was a good idea to come out on my birthday? Forget the fact I'm hungry, they've always been extra furious with me on my birthday!_' These were the primary thoughts running through young Uzumaki Naruto's head as he desperately tried to evade the mob, not keen on having the privilege of becoming the village's scapegoat yet again, the pariah was good enough for him, thank you very much! As he rounded yet another corner taking more obscure alleyways, the enraged voices grew further and further away as his hope grew in proportion to the fading voices, and for one fleeting moment he allowed himself the thought that he might just have made it this time. Yet it was not to be, for as he turned the next corner he found himself hurled back via gale force winds into the alley by which he came, and he felt his face pale as he saw what had happened, for before him stood a shinobi, chuunin if the jacket was to go by, with his hands still on the last handsign for a simple wind jutsu. At this point Naruto wondered why exactly the old man assigned guards to him if they didn't even seem to guard him!

"Thought you managed to lose us, didn't you little monster!" The chuunin sneered as he said this, his eyes glinting maliciously with cruel intentions as he stood between the young boy and his salvation.

Naruto quickly sprang up, ignoring his protesting body as he attempted to escape the way he came, only to draw up short when he saw the approaching mob. '_Why me? What is it that I've done to them to deserve such hatred? There must be a reason, but no matter how hard I look or how many people I ask, I keep ending up with a dead end if I'm lucky, or another mob if my luck is acting like it usually does. Damn it all! Why won't they just tell me? At least then I would know the reason behind this!' _

As he thought this, he remembered how every time, no matter how much he smiled or how hard he strove to earn even just a small uplift of the lips, the only reaction he would get was neutrality, or in the majority of cases, outright hostility. Of course there were a few exceptions, those being the ramen shop owner and his daughter, and lastly the Old Man himself, the Sandaime Hokage. But three people amongst an ocean of hatred was not enough to buoy him, and slowly but surely his mask of happy ignorance cracked and gave way as he himself slowly sank into the depths of frustration, sadness, and most importantly, anger. Little did he know that tonight, his worst beating yet was to come, and yet from this horrific experience would he find himself on his first steps towards his true destiny. He was quickly snapped out of his thoughts as a cry was issued forth from amongst the mob.

"There it is! Mizuki's managed to box it in, now you have nowhere to run, demon!" The supposed leader cried as the crowd advanced towards him, screaming all manners of damnation upon his being whilst preparing their weapons.

"This is for my friends! You think you can hide in the disguise of a human, you can't fool us fox!" Screamed yet another as she initiated the attack, chucking her pitchfork like a javelin which quickly found purchase in Naruto's left thigh, eliciting a scream of agony from the child.

As if the pitchfork was the pin for a grenade, the others soon descended upon his form, stabbing, slashing, twisting and bashing everything exposed, while Naruto curled up into a tight ball to protect his vitals. While they rained down punishment upon him, Naruto tried to block out the pain, giving into the pain occasionally with a gasping sob as tears streamed down his face. With each blow, his mask cracked more and more, and just as he was beginning to think the beatings would never end, the blows lessened and then abated altogether. Not wanting to press his luck, he stayed in his ball, attempting to regain some stamina for when they resumes, yet he was caught off guard when he was suddenly soaked with a strong smelling liquid that caused his open wounds to scream in agony. Opening his eyes in shock as he finally registered the smell as gasoline, he was just in time to see the sadistic face of Mizuki as he formed the last of his handsigns in a tiger, crying out triumphantly "**Fire Style: Grand Fireball**!".

When the fire hit the gasoline, Naruto's life went from cruel to hellish as the blaze quickly engulfed him, earning a bestial scream which echoed throughout the village, making all who heard the cry of utter anguish shudder, and in the case of one Sandaime Hokage, quickly rouse him from his impromptu nap in his comfy chair. As the bleary-eyed man finally recognized the scream, he paled as he made the connections, October 10th, child's scream of pain, near ending of Kyuubi festival...'_Naruto! Shit! Where the hell are his ANBU guards? I knew I should have switched his guards after the last incident! I just hope I'm not too late, forgive me Naruto, you shouldn't have to go through this...'_ Belying his old age, Sarutobi shot up from his chair, bellowing "ANBU! With me!" opened his window and shot out like a bat out of hell, his ANBU guards right on his tail as he made his way towards where he could hear the screaming.

Meanwhile with Naruto, he truly believed he would prefer death over this, and while the flames certainly tried to grant his wish, they only prolonged his suffering. The cruel irony was not lost on Naruto as he writhed, his unnatural healing ability, which had aided him in surviving in the past, was healing his body just as the flames cause his skin to blister and blacken, his blood to boil and his nerves to die in a climax of pain just to be healed all over again so the process could be repeated. This was by far the worst they've ever exposed him to, and with this his mind made a life-changing conclusion: they truly did not, and would not ever care for him, just hate him for something they refused to say, as he spotted through the flames some amongst the crowd whom he thought didn't mind him, laughing just as maniacally as the rest. It was at this point his mask not only broke, but completely shattered as his eyes took on a cold, unforgiving and clinical look to them even through the pain.

As this continued, his screams of pure agony not only echoed throughout the real world, but that of his mind as well, reaching deep into the furthest depths of his mind where in a massive room with a giant golden gate, one blood red eye the size of a fully grown man opened, quickly followed by its companion. As they took in their surroundings, the being they belonged to took notice of the screams, and its eyes narrowed in contemplation before a wave of red energy shot out from where the creature resided, heading towards where Naruto's consciousness was held. Their job done, the eyes closed once more, resigning themselves to a (hopefully) short wait.

Naruto tried his best to ignore the pain, but with his nerve endings dying, just to regrow and die again everywhere on his body simultaneously was too much for him, and as he let out yet another bellowing scream, a wave of...something seemed to overcome him, and his vision quickly faded to black. Before he could comprehend what exactly happened, he found himself plunging into water, which even though it was lukewarm in reality, one must consider that he was burning alive only a few moments ago, so the water felt like falling into liquid ice to him, causing him to shout out in surprise and rocket onto his feet, finding that the water came up to his knees.

"Where the hell am I? Last I remember I was burning alive for the amusement of those bastards, and now I'm in...a sewer? Right...so either they dumped me in a sewer after they figured I cooked enough...which I doubt, they've never stopped before, only when the old man or the guards finally showed up, or I've died. Hmmm...meaning either this is Heaven, in which case I appreciate the water, but a sewer? Really? Or the second option, which knowing my luck is most likely, and I'm in Hell...and if this is the best Hell can come up with I think I'll like it here more than the village."

Just as he finished pondering his whereabouts, he felt what could only be described as a pull leading in the direction of the largest passageway in here, so figuring why the hell not, Naruto decided to humor the feeling and started walking that direction. As he walked, Naruto noticed that the feeling he felt just before he passed out was getting more prominent as he headed in the direction of the pull. Nearly half an hour later and countless turns, he finally came upon what he could only describe as an endless room, the walls to the side extending hundreds of yards out each way, the ceiling wasn't even visible, and as he walked forwards, he caught sight of the looming gates that came into view before him extending up into the darkness, and ironically seemingly held shut only by a small tag on the bars which had the kanji for "seal" on it.

It was upon reaching 10 yards away from the bars that he stopped, feeling nervous as he felt not only the darkness within the giant cage, but an ancient malice which seemed to suddenly permeate throughout the cavernous room and his being, freezing him on the spot as he finally realized with a sudden clarity that he was not alone in this room. As if sensing his awareness, the being on the other side opened its eyes, and Naruto found himself looking into twin portals of fire and blood which shown as if lit by neon, with the exception being the pitch black slit going through the middle of each. As he stared, Naruto finally took notice of the low volume, but rapidly increasing demonic chuckle coming from behind the bars, and made a quick note in his mind to possibly amend his earlier conclusion that this place was better then hell. Finally the being started walking forward, and Naruto realized with awed clarity that it was further back in the darkness than he thought, as the eyes got bigger and the floor reverberated with the footfalls of the creature.

Finally, when the eyes were larger than himself and a good 100 meters above his head, they came down to his level and moved forward, and the being's face was finally brought into the light. First, came a massive crimson snout lined with fangs the size of a grown man, which was currently drawn into either a snarl or amused smile, Naruto would prefer it was the latter. Then the rest if its head, its face covered in blood red fur, with the exception of around its eyes and up its abnormally long ears, in which black was the presiding color. After a few minutes in which the creature observed the being in front of it, the being decided to speak up, and the walls nearly shook with the power behind it.

"**Greetings child, I think its time we had a talk."**

Ending Note: Well that's it for chapter 1, really a prologue if anything, the main purpose of this chapter was to lay the reasons behind Naruto's personality that he will primarily have in this story, as well as a small introduction into the Elemental Nations at the beginning. Do not worry, this is indeed a crossover with Digimon, right now I'm just laying down Naruto's character before the true story gets going, it may be a few chapters yet before we get into Digimon. As for those whom are dreading a "training arc"...don't. I plan on doing a considerable time skip and briefly going over what he learned during it, and any considerable technique or event that occurred will most likely be covered in a flashback; I don't want to torture you guys with page upon page of mind-numbing training jargon. Anyways, feedback always welcome, not sure when I'll submit next chapter, hopefully before weekend is over, then its back to full time summer job, not too much time to write during the week, but I'll try my best. ~Aarik076


	2. Talks, decisions, flashbacks, and a new

**Well hello again everyone, here's the next installment of A Fox Among Tamers. Remember, if you have questions, complaints, compliments etc, please leave them in a review so my email doesn't get flooded, only email me for things such as being a beta, or just wanting to talk for whatever reason. If you have a question in a review, I will answer to the best of my ability at the end of the next chapter in the author's notes. That being said, lets begin chapter 2, ne?**

"**You want me to talk into what?**" – Kyuubi speaking, jutsus/digimon attacks

"Get that thing out of my face!" – Normal speaking

'_What the hell was that thing?_' – Thoughts/thinking

'Hello?' **'Hello?'** – Thought-speak

^the line just above this denotes a scene change.^

**Disclaimer : I do not own anything associated or belonging to Naruto or Digimon.**

**-Talks, decisions, flashbacks, and a new world-**

As Naruto stared into the great beast's eyes, his mind was working on overdrive. Now, one thing you must understand about Naruto is that for a boy of five years he was abnormally perceptive. Of course, this is greatly due to his forced awareness of everything around him, lest he be attacked, but he also took it upon himself to know things about those around him, and thus listened in on many a conversation which the participants were not aware of him.

This being said, even though he lacked any kind of access to the library (the pink haired bitch in there made that clear last time), he was able to discern a few facts from the admittedly intimidating appearance before him. 1: Crimson fur the color of stained blood, not many being has such a color naturally, 2: Obviously some type of fox, though the longer than normal ears threw him off initially, 3: It talks...not many animals can do that, other than those summon animals he heard talked about, something about frogs?...anyways 4: It could stand in the village, and easily look over the hokage monument whilst doing so. These facts now listed in his mind, Naruto made his conclusion: gargantuan crimson-furred talking fox...this could only be the Kyuubi he's heard talked about only in whispers, as if speaking aloud about it would bring instant death. His conclusion made, Naruto then made his next decision on what to do with this information.

Meanwhile, the object of Naruto's intense scrutiny was feeling a bit bewildered, and (though he would deny it even under pain of death) somewhat uncomfortable. The reason? Well, he, the fabled nine-tailed fox, the Kyuubi no Kitsune himself, just revealed his face to a boy of five years...and the child in response just stared at him with oddly calculating eyes. Hell, even that bastard Yondaime flinched under his gaze, and yet this child stares?...his respect for the child went up a few notches, now to find out just why he was making that God-awful racket in the first place.

However, before he could ask, the child approached the cage even further, seemingly not afraid of what lurked within. Regardless of his respect for the child, such insolence can not be ignored, and so he decided to instill a bit of fear into the brat, and proceeded to launch one of his paws at Naruto, not enough to kill him, but certainly enough to make it hurt. However he was further surprised and stunned when not only did Naruto dive out of the way with reflexes no five year old should have, but upon righting himself walked towards the still outstretched paw, and proceeded to...shake it? Well, being that the paw was far larger than Naruto, it had a comical appearance, but nevertheless it was the action which stunned Kyuubi.

…...**"Brat...what, exactly, do you think you're doing?"** Kyuubi asked with a slight twitch in his right eye.

Naruto paused in his admittedly ridiculous hand-pawshake, looked straight into the Kyuubi's eyes once more, and said with a monotonous voice with just a slight hint of...gratitude? "Thank you, Kyuubi-sama"

Kyuubi was, once more caught flatfooted by this statement...thank you? _'Why in the nine hells is this child thanking me? Last I remembered I was trashing this shit-hole, and he's talking to the destroyer of his village amicably?...hmm... time for some answers'_ Composing himself (it wouldn't do to appear shocked my a mere mortal, and a child at that, now would it), Kyuubi presented his inquiry **"Child, why do you thank me? It is because of my actions that your village was almost destroyed."**

"That is the exact reason for why I thank you Kyuubi-sama, for you almost accomplished a task that I find very...enticing." Naruto said with a heavy taint of maliciousness at the end, once more stunning the fox, but before the could ask the reason for such hate towards his fellow villagers, Naruto once more spoke up "One thing I would like to know though, if you wouldn't mind...where exactly are we, and how did we get here? I've been the sewers of Konoha before, many times in fact, and never have they been this large, and I'm pretty certain I would have remembered a giant fox in them."

Now they were getting somewhere! But the child has been in sewers before, and several times at that?...the reasons behind the screams he heard were starting to become more disturbing in his mind, but he decided to answer the child's question.

"**We are in you mind, Naruto, and this is called your mindscape, as to why are we here? I have called you here to talk...yet you act as if you did not expect me to be here inside your mind...why is this?" **

As he asked the last part of his question, the shocked and profoundly confused look that appeared on the child's face gave him his answer. _'They did not tell him of his prisoner it would seem...this isn't good, why wouldn't they tell him of his noble sacrifice? Sure, he did not have a choice in the matter, but that does not take away the nobility of the act itself!' _As these thoughts raced through his head, Kyuubi began to get a sickening feeling to the reasons as to just why they did not tell him.

Meanwhile, Naruto once more schooled his expression into an emotionless facade while his mind raced at the implications of the fox's statement. They were inside his mind..._'I have a sewer for a 'mindscape'...its official, some deity, hell maybe all of them hate me!'_, where the Kyuubi no Kitsune himself _'Which should be dead last I checked!'_ wanted to speak to HIM, the village pariah, the nobody, and even more stunning yet, is the fact that the fox was genuinely surprised that Naruto wasn't expecting him! As he thought, his eyes roamed over the gate, and he was amused by how such small-looking bars apparently held this massive entity, yet as his eyes roamed over the gate, they fell upon the small tag holding them closed that read "Seal", and his mind abruptly halted.

However, just as fast as it stopped, it went into overdrive with this revelation. _'I'm in my mind...the Kyuubi no Kitsune is here as well, wanting to talk to ME...he's caged and held in with a tag which says __"Seal"...October 10__th__, the Kyuubi festival...MY birthday...the names I've been called..."Demon brat!" … "Monster!" ... "Fox!" ...that can only mean...'_

….."You're sealed in me..." was said in a whisper so small that even Kyuubi had to strain to hear it, but the tone in which it was said confirmed his suspicions.

"**Yes child, I was sealed into you five years ago by the Yondaime of your village, with him sacrificing his own life to do so. What surprises me however is the fact that apparently you were not informed of such, and leads me to far more questions than I wish to ask at this time, so instead I will ask you one question: will you give me ****access to your mind? I swear upon my tails that I shall not harm you in any way from this access, be it mentally, physically or emotionally." **

Naruto scrutinized the being before him, years of being back stabbed by those whom wanted to fool him forced Naruto to become quite adept at reading the intentions of those around him through their eyes, and as he peered into the crimson depths, he only found curiosity and confusion, so he decided to take a leap of faith and trust Kyuubi, after all, he was grateful for what the fox nearly accomplished, and more importantly in Naruto's eyes, Kyuubi wasn't human, and therefore his mistrust of everything human did not extend to Kyuubi. But before he gave his permission, the fact that he had to give it presented a question.

"Kyuubi-sama, why do you need my permission to do such? Being that you live in my mind, aren't you able to hear what I think, see what I see?"

"**I need your permission Naruto, because the seal I'm caged behind prohibits me from any interaction with the host in most circumstances unless the host specifically deems it so."**

Nodding his head to show he understood, Naruto then gave his permission, and decided to reward the fox for the past a little as well. "Then I give you permission to explore my mind Kyuubi-sama, and in addition give you permission to view the outside world through my five senses" As he spoke, the bars which held back the giant kitsune seemed to simply dissolve, the resulting mist coalescing into a golden collar around the Kyuubi's neck, with the engraving of "Seal" on the middle of it.

Kyuubi, no longer stunned (he refused to be shocked and/or stunned by anything this boy did anymore!), but nevertheless surprised by the additional privileges Naruto entrusted to him, simply nodded his massive head in acceptance and thanks, then proceeded to sit on his haunches and delve into Naruto's memories, from day one to present.

Naruto watched as Kyuubi-sama seemingly went into some state of meditation and remained that way. Thirty minutes passed and even Naruto's new-found stoicism was becoming taxed by this silence, yet just as he was about to find something to do he was startled from his thoughts by a low rumble that was quickly increasing in intensity, and unlike the chuckle at their introduction, there was nothing amusing in this rumble; oh no, this was a growl that was quickly turning into a snarl of unfathomable rage.

As Kyuubi sifted through Naruto's memories, not only did his understanding of the situation increase, but so did his rage, simmering just beneath the surface. However, upon viewing the event that caused the rousing scream of pain, that rage which was held back only moments ago, if barely, exploded from his mouth and body in a earth shattering snarl and explosion of youki.

Naruto was not afraid of Kyuubi-sama, as he had his promise upon his tails that he would not harm him, but he most certainly feared Kyuubi-sama's power right now, and his respect for the fox skyrocketed to damn near idol levels. The waves of youki pouring out of this juggernaut before him made him seem like a blood red sun, and it was all he could do to stay where he was, and even then he had to curl into a ball and latch onto the floor underneath him and hang on for dear life.

As the snarling ended, a rant of rage began. **"THOSE FOOLS! THOSE DISGUSTING BAGS OF MEAT! NEVER HAVE I SEEN SUCH DEPRAVITY, SUCH CRUETLY! HOW THOSE MORONIC INGRATES CAME TO THE CONCLUSTION THAT ****YOU**** WERE ****ME**** IS BEYOND EVEN MY COMPREHENSION! To think that before this I regretted my actions that night, regardless of whether I was in control or not...no longer! With this, they have condemned themselves, especially those fools from tonight! They think that they've done a service to their village by cooking a child alive? Ohoho! When I'm done with them Hell will seem like a reprieve!"**

As his anger began to subside (for now), Kyuubi became aware of the amount of youki he was pouring out and quickly reigned it in, it would not do for the populous to become privy to his awareness just yet. His youki reigned in, he caught sight of the form of Naruto, huddled into a tiny ball before him, and his eyes lost the gleam of anger they held to be replaced by a softness rarely seen in the beast. For although he admitted to himself that he could be quite cruel and bloodthirsty, he was only cruel to those whom deserved it, and he, along with those of the Kitsune race, held kits as something to be treasured, to be cared for and protected and not even the threat of death would sway them from protecting something so precious. So, it was with a tenderness that contradicted his fearsome visage, that Kyuubi used one of his massive tails to scoop Naruto up with, and set the child down upon yet another as he himself lied down, his muzzle facing the tail on which Naruto now resided.

"**Child...for what its worth, I am truly sorry for what you have experienced...what they have done to you, thinking it was I they harmed..." **He trailed off, his muzzle oddly expressive as it twisted into a grimace, and was it Naruto's imagination, or was that a wet spot he spotted in the fur at the corner of an eye? Snapping to attention, Naruto was confused at the honest sorrow he heard emanating from the fox. "

It wasn't you who made those conclusions Kyuubi-sama, so there is nothing to be sorry for, but if it helps any, you're forgiven. But I'm a little confused, from what I've heard Kyuubi-sama, and no offense, but every story has made you out as a bloodthirsty, mindless demon, yet here you are showing kindness to ME, the one you're trapped inside!" As he finished, he noted absently how soft the fur he lied on was _'Who knew? The great Kyuubi no kitsune is, dare I say...cuddly.'_

Heaving out a great sigh, the great fox further settled himself down, preparing for a long talk. **"I would advice you to get comfortable child, for we have very much to talk about." **As Naruto did so, Kyuubi made sure to clear up one universal assumption right then and there. **"Now, as for the reason behind my seemingly unexpected kindness? First, and foremost, I am no demon, that is an unwelcome title you humans have labeled me and the rest of the Tailed Beasts as. You see, I am what you could call the head of my clan, which by the way is the Kitsune Clan. I am one of nine Tailed Beasts, each the leader of their own beast clan, with the tails showing the power and influence of each. There is the Ichibi no Shukaku, the leader of the Tanuki Clan, the Nibi no Bakemono, leader of the Cat Clan, Sanbi no Kyodaigame, leader of the Turtle Clan, Yonbi no Saru, leader of the Monkey Clan, Gobi no Irukauma, leader of the Dolphin-Horse clan, Rokubi no Namekuji, leader of the Slug Clan, Nanabi no Kabutomushi, leader of the Beetle Clan, Hachibi no Kyogyu, leader of the Ox Clan, and lastly there is I, Kyuubi no Kitsune, leader of the ****Fox Clan the strongest of the nine. That is not to say there aren't other beast clans, but we are by far the most powerful of them, this being represented by me and the other eight Tailed Beasts. Our clans reside in the land of summons, and before you ask yet it is possible to summon us, but in order to do so one must obtain the contract from the leaders, which as you can guess is all but impossible, at least in most cases. The reason I and the other eight are here in this realm is to act as...stewards of this realm, if the balance between countries becomes too unbalanced, we of the Tailed Beasts agreed amongst ourselves to intervene so that balance is restored. Now, as for the reasons behind my...visit...to Konoha, that has to do with an accursed bloodline called the Sharingan" **

Seeing Naruto flinch at the name, Kyuubi continued. **"I see this is not the first time you have heard of the bloodline, and from your memories, I see they are a constant amongst your tormentors." **Barely biting back another growl from ripping out of his throat at the memory, he continued once more. **"While it is common knowledge that the Sharingan can have from one to three tomes in the eye, three showing the greatest mastery, what most do not know, and should never know, is that there is yet another stage beyond this called the 'Mangekyo Sharingan' which gives its host deadly abilities. However, the cost for these abilities ensures that the host becomes twisted, for he or she must kill their best friend to obtain it. Even further unknown, and by far the most vile, is the last, and most powerful form, the 'Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan', which can only be obtained if two people have the 'Mangekyo Sharingan', and one takes the others eyes and implants them unto him/herself. Only one has obtained this final form, and his name was, and is, Uchiha Madara."**

Noticing how Naruto stared squirming at the name, he paused and nodded his head at the boy, silently giving him permission to speak. "Umm...Kyuubi-sama, not that I question you or anything...but wasn't Uchiha Madara one of the founders of Konoha? He should be dead, no human can live that long!"

Expecting this question, Kyuubi continued. **"Yes, a normal human would have died off a long time ago, but there is a reason that the final version of the Sharingan has the word "Eternal" in it." **….."you mean he's...immortal?" **"Not in the way you're thinking, such a thing is not possible for anything less than a deity, however because of his eyes he has stopped aging, and is annoyingly difficult to kill, but certainly not immortal. Now, there is one other thing that the 'Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan' grants its user, but only if he or she is powerful enough to do so...the ability to trap anything in a genjutsu...even me. You see Naruto, the attack five years ago was caused by a genjutsu Madara cast upon me...one I would rather not discuss...suffice to say it managed to throw me into a blind rage, with my target being Konoha." **

As Kyuubi finished, Naruto went over everything the fox told him. He was amazed that there was a whole other realm out there, and from the way Kyuubi spoke, it was far more populated and powerful than the one he lived in...all this time he thought summons were just something chakra made up, but to think they had their own society! Done absorbing all this information, Naruto had one nagging question he had to ask.

"Ok...that's quite a bit to take in...I have a question that's been bugging me ever since I figured out that I had you inside me...why me? Why was I chosen out of everyone for this task?"

At this Kyuubi flinched, he was not sure how Naruto would take this information, and the last thing he wanted to do was give this child more pain. With his old personality and mask in place, he may have been neutral to the answer, maybe even understanding...but now, with this new, colder, clinical personality?...he sighed, might as well get it over with. As he prepared to tell Naruto, he made his own decision...that after all this boy...no, kit has gone through, he would help him all he could; after all, in his mind it was his fault for this boy's suffering.

"**Child...no...kit" **

Naruto's eyes snapped up to Kyuubi's at this. _'Kit?...isn't that a baby fox?...I have a bad feeling about this...'_

"**First, the sealing could only be done with an infant, as its chakra coils would have not yet developed, and therefore would be able to adapt to my chakra, or as we beasts call it, youki. If anyone older had me sealed into them, my youki would have literally cooked them alive. Now there were other infants that could have been used, but...*sigh* kit, tell me this...whom better to entrust with such a responsibility...than your own son?"** There, he said it, now to watch and be there for whatever decision the kit came to.

Naruto sat there, completely and totally at a loss for words. He was sure after tonight, after being lit on fire and cooked alive, that he had experienced the best that pain could throw at him...but now...now he knew how wrong that assumption was. _'My father...the Yondaime was my father...and he is the cause of my hell? He WILLINGLY submitted his own son to this hell on earth?' _

As the sat there and thought, he was unaware of the myriad of expressions that went through his face, but Kyuubi saw them all to well, going from shocked, to incredulity, and finally to what he expected, fury. Continuing to think, Naruto came upon one more conclusion, one that would be the final nail in the coffin that sybolized his trust in humanity. _'Wait...its not just my father that betrayed me...Old Man...he KNEW! All those times I asked him if he knew who my parents were, I wondered why he got this remorseful look on his face, sure he hid the expression well, but not enough to hide it from me! He knew damn well who my father was, and lied RIGHT TO MY FACE!...that's it, I'm done being their little scapegoat, the village's punching bag, fuck them! No more will I trust any human, too much has been done to me at their hands...and to think I am one myself...*shudders*' _

Kyuubi watched as one final expression passed on Naruto's face, if you could call it an expression, for it was simply a face devoid of any emotion, and Naruto's blue eyes took on a frigidity that would have made the coldest iceberg cry out in envy. Naruto finally spoke up with a monotonous, calm voice that send a slight shiver down Kyuubi's spine.

"So...even my father, and now that I've though about it, the one I considered a grandfather has betrayed me." Kyuubi didn't miss the 'considerED" in that statement, "...very well, as it seems time and time again, humans have betrayed me regardless of if I was even a son or 'grandson'. That being said...I hereby renounce any and all ties such twisted beings and will no longer be called 'Uzumaki Naruto'...but just Naruto...a human is the one that gave me my last name, and I want nothing more to do with them, unless it is to cause them harm."

His decision being made, now he has a bigger problem to face that just now occurred to him. Turning to Kyuubi, he asked in a voice only barely holding back the desperation is his voice. "You said that we were in my mindscape, and before this, I know I was still burning alive...am I still burning?"

Kyuubi paused, mentally damning every one of those humans for causing such damage to the kit. **"I'm afraid so Naruto, for you see, while in here time can be dramatically slowed down if one wanted it ****to, and currently we are at the greatest time distortion, as one hour passes in here, a second passes in the real world. This will not be the case most of the time, as staying in your mind for so long and then returning to the real world only to find mere moments have passed can damage a mind if used too often, but considering that you are indeed still alight, it was necessary, luckily the seal recognized that such would benefit you and allowed me temporary access."**

Taking a breath, Kyuubi proceed to enact a plan he had been making ever since he viewed Naruto's memories. **"Kit, I'm afraid there is one last liberty I have to ask of you." **

At this Naruto gazed intently at Kyuubi, before giving a slight nod to continue, after all, Kyuubi hasn't betrayed him, and was the one to finally give him the answers he sought.

"**Knowing your current predicament, I absolutely REFUSE to force you back into that pain, and even more so, make you continue living in this shit hole of a village. That being said, the liberty I ask of you is a rather large one...let me take over your body temporarily, to first avenge you for their injustices, and secondly to get you the hell out of this place, after this is done we can talk some more. Oh, and after you are out of the mindscape, just think your thoughts to me and I'll hear you and reply back in kind, the connection has already been made by us meeting tonight." **

Taking only a brief moment to go over what Kyuubi suggested to him, Naruto made his decision, taking yet another leap of faith, one that would go far in Kyuubi's eyes. "I allow you temporary access to my body, Kyuubi-sama, and because of your kindness shown to me, I will allow you to do so whenever you know I am in danger and don't have the time to ask for permission. I will even let you have some time in my body that doesn't have to do with fighting or running, all you have to do is ask. And before you say anything, I have already renounced all ties I have with this village, how you avenge me is up to you, they deserve whatever you serve."

It took a few minutes of gawking (which Naruto found quite amusing, it not everyday the great Kyuubi has his mouth hanging wide open) before Kyuubi absorbed what Naruto said _'Not only did he entrust me with this temporary access, but trusts me enough to give me permission to protect when I deem necessary? Furthermore, he went even further to give me permission to experience the outside world for PLEASURE?...This kit...he's something else...and I will not let him down, he shall become something great, of this I swear!' _

His promise made to himself, Kyuubi answered in a warm tone **"Kit...thank you, your words mean more to me than you could know. Now, sit back and enjoy Naruto, for what pain they have given you, I will return twofold. They will rue the day they decided that torturing a child was acceptable!" **

As Kyuubi's body faded into nothingness, showing his temporary control, the wall to the left of Naruto shimmered, showing the outside world still wreathed in flames, while a comfortable looking chair appeared not far from it. Walking over and sitting in the chair, Naruto proceeded to watch his newfound friend avenge him with a expectant and malicious glint in his eye.

Back with the villagers, the scene seemed like one you would find within a celebration, people whooping and hollering, laughing and some even dancing around a small bonfire. One would even be tempted to join in with this merrymaking, that is until one payed attention, and realized that resounding louder that the ruckus the villagers were making was a bestial scream, and that the scream originated for the bonfire itself, which if one looked, would be horrified to find a small child. However, this fact was quickly made pointless as the terrible screaming stopped, only to be replaced with an ominous silence from the bonfire.

Noticing this, the villagers quickly quieted down, wondering if they finally managed to kill the demon. One even had the gall to come forward and poke the flaming child, only to stare befuddled at the bloody ribbons of flesh where his arm used to reside. As quickly as the quite came, a bloodcurdling scream ripped from the mouth of the man whose mind quickly caught up with the fact that his arm was now ribbons of flesh, followed by the area becoming inundated with a killing intent so great that a few of the weaker minded civilians' hearts stopped, with everyone else, shinobi included, falling to their knees, horrified at the mass of red flame that had suddenly erupted out of the demon brat, replacing the fire they themselves gifted him with. Yet unlike their fire, this one seemed to heal his wounds, blackened flesh turning to ash, only to show clear skin underneath, and with this a terrifying transformation overcame the brat.

Before their very eyes, his hair seemed to bristle, become more wild, almost like a fur, his hands grew vicious claws which flexed in anticipation, his whisker marks upon his face seemed to carve themselves deeper into is face, giving it a far more feral look than before, and his teeth, as his mouth now bore a snarl, became sharp and pointed, with his incisors becoming fangs befitting a canine. But all of these changes dimmed in comparison as to when his head snapped up, and all bore witness to twin pools of bloody hatred, interrupted only by nary a slit in the middle, and in those eyes did they all bore witness to their own deaths, each more horrible and demented than the next, and only then did this...creature speak.

"**Hmm...having fun? Nice night for a bonfire, is it not? Well, at least it would be...but you seemed to have set this occasion up incorrectly, for you see you use firewood for a bonfire..." ** Here he trailed off, letting his youki explode from him in a tower of blood red light. **"NOT A CHILD! What's with the shocked looks? You thought you could actually get away with this?" **

At this one of the Jounin snapped out it, shouting at the brat in anger "What are you on about demon! Your tricks won't work on us!"

"**And just what trick is that? You thought your little bonfire hurt me? FOOLS! Are you so daft as to not understand what a sealing entails? Especially you, shinobi! For if you knew, you would realize that the object sealed is NOT affected by actions taken against the being the object was sealed within! Your 'justified' revenge was nothing more than torturing a five year old boy!" **

At this one of the less intelligent civilians decided to speak up. "Be quiet, demon-brat! You are the demon itself, trying to protect yourself by saying we attack a child is pathetic!" As he finished, he rushed forward preparing to club the insolent brat with a board, anticipating the impact, yet he was confused as he no longer felt his body under him, and then he knew no more.

The rest stared, horrified, as the body of the man went through its death-throes, all the while the...monster before them studied the head of the civilian he killed in his hands like twisted macabre imitation of Hamlet, peering intently at the head's glazed over visage before tossing it over his shoulder much like one would a piece of trash.

"**So eager to die, who am I to deny him his wish? But now I face a predicament..." **Here he trailed off, moving his gaze to the mob, in which its shinobi tensed and inched their hands towards more weaponry. **"When faced with so many choices, just which do I choose, and once I've chosen one...in what was do I kill them? What to do, what to do..." **here he acted as if truly pondering this question, his claw-tipped hands lightly rubbing his chin with his head tilted as if in thought. At this the shinobi in the crowd drew their weapons and rushed, knowing the time for words was soon to end while the civilians finally came to their senses and recognized the threat, and began to run from the alley, screaming to high heavens about demons. Kyuubi smiled as he saw the pandemonium break out, it was time to shine!

"**Oh well, when in doubt...improvise!" **

At this he became a blur of action his youki flowing through Naruto's emaciated body, enabling it to achieve feats previously impossible, to the great dismay of his foes. One of his claws quickly found a cozy home in a chuunin's ribcage, using the now dead shinobi as a shield to fend off an approaching Jounin, who upon seeing just what he hit, stumbled back in horrified realization. This was all Kyuubi needed, as he used his other claw to swing around and slit open the man's throat before turning to his next vic...errr opponent and proceeding to launch a claw of youki at the surprised jounin, which was quickly encased in the red energy and proceeded to scream as he began to be cooked alive by the youki. Turning once more, Kyuubi concentrated an obscene amount of youki into his right fist and launched it at an approaching chuunin. The chuunin, sensing the danger just in time managed to perform a Kawarimi with a discarded sledgehammer, and just as quickly, Kyuubi sensed where the chuunin escaped to and altered his location and trajectory so that he when he hit the sledgehammer with a punch that would have made Tsunade to green with envy, the massive head of the hammer shot off like a bullet in the direction of the momentarily disoriented chuunin. The last thing the chuunin saw was the caution sticker on the side of the hammer-head at it decided to turn his head into a chunky mist of bone, blood and brain, and just as quickly continued on its hellbent path as it careened out of the alley and into one of the main streets.

As Kyuubi watched the headless body of the chuunin stand there before taking the hint and dropping like a stone, he realized that his attackers had all been killed. With a pout (Naruto couldn't help the snicker that escaped as he saw this), Kyuubi turned and looked to where the civilians had ran off to, and the pout was quickly replaced with a look of anticipation as he loped off after them.

_'Ahhh...what a wonderful night' _One "Copycat" Kakashi thought as he strolled down one of Konoha's smaller roads right next to its walls, his eye firmly attached to one of his precious "Icha-Icha Paradise". And indeed the night was grand as thus far it was relatively quiet with a cool breeze, no appearance of his "rival" Gai, and more importantly...the latest Icha-Icha was released today! Which, of course he was now reading avidly, seemingly ignoring the deadly glares sent his way by the female populous.

So intent on his book was he, that he completely missed a fruit wagon down the street explode in a colorful and tasty mist, and even missed the small memorabilia stand nearby suddenly deciding it liked being woodchips better. It was only after he found himself devoid of his precious Icha-Icha with a resounding 'WHOOMPH' that he took notice, and stared in confusion at the cloud of paper surrounding his head; if he didn't know any better he would have said a book got into a fight with a pissed off wood-chipper and lost horribly. It was only after a shred of the paper landed in his palm that he realized what happened as he saw a part of a risque scene on it, and his eye widened to comical proportions.

Witnesses to the scene would later claim they heard the cry of a dying animal coming from the man, with one Mitarashi Anko claiming through laughter that it was the most justified thing she had ever seen. It would only be later that a shinobi on patrol would find a decently sized hole punched clear through the village's wall, and the sledgehammer head which caused such destruction would never be found as it finally reached its final destination imbedded in one of the massive trees surrounding Konoha, a good 500 meters away from the wall.

In all of his years Sarutobi had seen many things, from the battlefields littered with dead bodies that he himself caused during the third shinobi war, to the twisted experiments he found within his ex-student Orochimaru's many hidden laboratories after said students exile. Yes, he has seen many horrible things, and he considered himself quite numbed to death. Yet as he arrived where he had sensed that enormous explosion of all to familiar chakra, that numbness that he claimed mastery of fled like a scolded puppy with its tails between its legs.

To call the scene he came upon a massacre would be like calling the sun a little warm...it just wasn't adequate. As his eyes roved over the scene slathered with blood and all manner of body fluid, he heard his newly-arrived ANBU guards wretch not far behind him, and if he was honest he wanted nothing more than to do the same, but as the Hokage it was his duty to keep calm in the face of adversity. He quickly walked down the path of destruction, his ANBU composing themselves quickly and falling in rank behind. While walking, he observed how some died, and did not envy them in the least...of the few that were intact, one had a hole drilled through his chest, one looked as if it was stuck in a furnace for a while and the only other two intact bodies had a slit throat (that appeared the most painless of the bunch) and the last one was just missing its head...which compared to the surrounding...mass stain...it was considered intact.

Turning a corner, he saw that the body pieces stopped for a while, the only clue the perpetrator continued onward was the occasional bloody shoeprint and oddly, handprint that continued down the alley. Turning the next corner, Sarutobi's breath was stole away from him as he beheld the sight, his ANBU gasping behind them. He did not blame them for their outburst. For there, lit up by the full moon in the middle of the alley was one "Uzumaki" Naruto, covered head to toe in blood and bits of gore, while surrounding him was a scene that made the last one seems like a small brawl.

From what he could see, there was not ONE intact body...hell he couldn't even see an arm or a leg! The most he caught was the occasional finger or toe amidst the...he could only call them piles of shredded flesh that surrounded the boy. As Naruto turned to face them finally, it did not escape Sarutobi's notice of the rather frightening change the boy had undergone, the situation all too clear to him now, and if the sudden tensing of his ANBU behind him was any indication, they realized this as well.

Kyuubi, after Sarutobi finally showed up, turned around to complete his objective here, and spoke up. **"Ahh...and only now, after everything is said and done, does the old man show up. Tell me Sarutobi, where were Naruto's escorts tonight?" **

Sarutobi flinched at that, as he had realized even before he got here that once again, Naruto's guards had abandoned their posts, deeming the boy not worth their time. Still, he had to rectify this situation as much as possible, and by any means possible. "Kyuubi...what have you done with Naruto? You will return to your seal or I will repeat the events which occurred five years ago! I demand that you-" here he was cut off as Kyuubi flared his killing intent once more, driving the breath from Sarutobi.

"**YOU ARE IN NO POSITION TO MAKE DEMANDS SARUTOBI! You WILL be silent and you WILL listen to what I have to say or I will make what you have just seen seem like a blessing ****from above! Am I clear?" **Sarutobi could only nod his head in consent. **"Good. Now then, I am only lingering here for one simple thing...to relay a message from Naruto." **At this Sarutobi's head snapped up to stare Kyuubi in his blood red eyes. "You mean-?" **"SILENCE! Now as I was saying, I am here to relay a message from Naruto, and before you ask...again...Naruto is indeed still here, what you see before you is only temporary and only possible because Naruto himself gave me permission to do so." **

Sarutobi gasped at this point _'Naruto agreed to this? That can't be possible, not the kind child I knew, I mean sure he had a rough life, but to agree to such a massacre?' _

"**Believe it or not Sarutobi he did, but maybe the reason behind why he did will be explained with the simple message he wants me to relay...he knows, old man." **All the blood in Sarutobi's face drained at this, realizing the possible implications. **"Ahhh, I see you do indeed realize just what that simple statement means. Yes old man, he knows of your constant lies to him, knows just who sacrificed him and how he is related to that person, and more importantly, knows with absolute certainly that he will never be loved here nor trusted, and thus came to the conclusion that he must leave with due haste. And I agree with him. And so, I have one final thing to say before we depart. Ironic, is it not? I, the cause of his burden, have been forgiven and graciously so because it seems I was the only one whom both cared for him and was truthful to him, while the village which he became a sacrifice to protect shunned him, damning themselves in the process. Goodbye Sarutobi, I can't say it's been pleasant...well the killing most certainly was, but this? No, the only joy I derive from this is the cruel irony of this situation." **

As his words finished, Naruto's body was wreathed in a column of flame, before both he and the flames seemed to blow out before Sarutobi could even take a step. Seeing such and registering Kyuubi's departing words, the Sandaime fell to his knees, ignoring the gore it landed in. _'Minato...I have failed you...and you as well Naruto...my only remaining hope is that the council will realize that further antagonizing will do nothing other than to rouse Kyuubi's ire...forgive me, Minato, Naruto._

Unfortunately for Sarutobi, his wish was not mean to be, for as soon as he reported to the council hours later of the incident, they immidiately saw Naruto as a possible threat and with a unanimous vote, hunter-nins were deployed en-masse to intercept and kill Naruto. Little did they all know that they would not see the boy for quite a few years, and when they did he would be like nothing they could have imagined.

In a small clearing about five mile out of Konoha, a swirl of flame suddenly blazed out of thin air, which once dispersed, deposited the form of a bestial looking Naruto. Gazing about and making sure the area was devoid of threats, Kyuubi turned in one direction and started to bound through the trees, still using his youki, but in far less amounts, as the amount he previously used could not be sustained without seriously damaging Naruto's body.

**'We are clear of any danger for the moment kit, but it will be a while yet before we reach our destination'**

Voicing his thoughts in his mind, Naruto replied. _'_Where exactly are we going Kyuubi-sama?_'_

**'To an old den of mine, one that has not been discovered, at least to my knowledge. Oh and kit? Drop the -sama, it makes me feel old, if you insist upon using a title call me Kyuubi-sensei.'**

_'_But aren't you ol-err nevermind...wait, why would you want me to call you sensei?_'_

Amused by Naruto's near slip and the trace of hope he heard in the kit's voice he replied. **'What, did you expect us to do nothing once we got there? No kit, I plan to train you myself! As a being who has lived countless millenia and roamed the lands of this planet in its entirety several times, I have picked up many things from both shinobi and those of similar professions, not to mention my extensive knowledge of Kitsune techniques, some of which you will be able to perform because of my residence inside you."**

The smile that lit up Naruto's face made it all worth it in Kyuubi's opinion, for he knew he would be one of the VERY few whom Naruto ever opened up to, and even then, such a genuine smile would be rare.

_'_Do...do you really mean that? You would train me? Forgive me for my doubt...its just that no one has ever done something for me like this before...' trailing off in the end, Naruto quickly shut off the memories which rose because of such thoughts.

**'I do mean it kit, and I will train you. Now, as we head to my old den I need to warn you beforehand; this training will be the hardest thing you have ever experienced. Not the most painful, I shall never have you endure such, but you will be pushed to your limits and beyond. While you are awake, you will train in subjects which I will instruct you in, with pauses only for breaks, eating, and taking care of bodily functions. When you sleep, I shall instruct you face to face in many, many things, ranging from politics to battle tactics. I will be a harsh taskmaster, and at times I know you will hate me, but it will prepare you for anything to come, I can guarantee you that. Now, the only question that remains is: do you accept kit, will you become my protege?'**

Naruto only took a moment to make his decision for this was his dream come true! It may be hard, but after all he has endured, at least this will be worth it! With eyes full of determination, Naruto turned to face Kyuubi's semi-corporal avatar in his mindscape (Kyuubi can maintain a ghost like avatar in the mindscape while in control of Naruto's body), and said with absolute finality, 'I accept your training, Kyuubi-sensei.'

In the outside world, Kyuubi let loose a low chuckle which soon turned to a full laugh. **'Good. Good! You shall to far Naruto, my protege. Now then as we have ample time until we arrive to my den, let me begin your training. While in the mindscape, you may not be able to train your body, but the mind is a different matter altogether! Anything you learn in your mind, you only need remember in the outside world, be it chakra-control, jutsus, fighting styles or countless other things, if it involves the mind, it can be trained in your mindscape. Now then, I will teach you how to access your chakra, and then I will teach you a technique that exponentially increase your training capacity, called the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu. Normally chakra control would be taught to you before even trying such a taxing technique, but seeing as how much chakra you have, side-effect of my residence, you should be able to just pour your chakra into the technique to create the clones at first after you have access to your chakra. Now then, in order to find your chakra...'**

Several hours later, Kyuubi and one mentally exhausted Naruto arrived at Kyuubi's den, and considering what it housed, it was admittedly enormous, set into the cliffside of a mountain overlooking a lush forest surrounded by other mountains, with a lake in the midst of the forest. Considering the size of the hole in the cliff-face Naruto was amazed and confused that no one had found it yet.

'Kyuubi-sensei, how has this massive cavern remained undiscovered? You can spot it from the other side of the forest!'

**'That, my young protege, is because of a Kitsune technique that we Kitsunes specialize in: illusions. That will be taught to you later on, but for now, create some clones, and have them go do those tree walking exercises I showed you, for now the real training begins!'**

**-Twelve years later-**

A young man stood atop a cliff overlooking the place that had become his home over the last twelve years. Unlike his years in the village, which stunted his growth and greatly limited his potential, the past twelve years had done wonders the man, for if one saw him, you could call him nothing less. His appearance had gone through a dramatic overhaul throughout the years, and the only thing he could still claim as unchanged was his eye color, and even then it seems to have intensified. The blonde locks, which was a trademark for him as a child, remained as well but they were not alone, for within that sea of blond resided streaks of crimson, two of which formed bangs that traced down the sides of his face, unknowingly mimicking his late human father yet the crimson color of them spoke otherwise.

Where once his hair resembled some kind of blonde-colored urchin atop his head, now it was swept back, still retaining its spikes, but they faced back and flowed down until just past his neck in a spiky mane. His face lost its baby fat, the years of constant training making sure of that, whilst the rest of his facial features were quite reminiscent of a night twelve years ago. For instead of normal teeth, in his mouth resided what one could only call fangs, which were even more pronounced than they were that night. His whisker marks had deepened, looking more like dark crevices upon his face, giving it a far more feral look, and his eyes, while still being a glacier-blue (and just as cold to most), had slits for pupils.

Moving from his face, his body itself was a testament to his training, both in the rewards it reaped, and the difficulty of the training itself. For what had been skin and bones twelve years ago was now a deeply-tanned mass of muscles which appeared more like cables under the skin than a muscle. While quite muscular, he was not overly so, his muscles compacted instead of bulging, thus making sure his speed was not hindered any, nor his limberness. Upon his hands the claws still remained, even more vicious looking that before, and he had most certainly lost his midget-esque stature, now standing a proud (this is a secret pride for Naruto) 6' 4" . Breathing out a sigh, Naruto started his trek down the cliff-face and into his home to get on his gear.

Once arriving at where he slept, he gathered his gear and began to put it on piece-by-piece. He always found this ritual quite relaxing, ever since the gear had been gifted to him by a few of the Kitsune Clan most closely related to Kyuubi, he has treasured it. Thinking about such brought back the memories of that day, one which would be marked as one of his best and change his life forever, but in a way he didn't mind at all...

**-Flashback: 5 years ago-**

Naruto stirred, the sun's rays managing to snake their way through the cavern in which he resided and make a successful landing upon his face. After a few minutes of pointless squirming, he finally conceded defeat to the sun. _'One day, sun, one day; you shall rue the day you cast your rays upon my face in this ungodly hour! RUE!' _

After glaring in the general direction of the sun for a few minutes (it wouldn't do to go blind after all), Naruto let out a weary sigh and proceeded to stretch in his fur-fuuton, created thanks to the err..._charity_ of the woodland creatures in his little alcove in the mountains. As he stretched, he couldn't help but wince as some of his bones shifted back into their proper place with a crack, reminding him of yesterday's grueling workout. _Its to work up your skin's toughness he says, it builds character he says...BAH! There is nothing character building about whaling on a boulder for the better part of the day! Yeah maybe the skin might be a little tougher...AFTER it grows back! Damn slave-driver...' _

**'I heard that.' **

'Gah! Kyuubi-sensei you know how much I hate it when you eavesdrop into my thoughts-meant-to-be-private-not-heard!'

**'I know kit, but your waking thoughts tend to greatly amuse me, I mean really, what has the poor sun ever done to you?' **

Naruto could practically feel the old fox's smirk on his muzzle. 'It comes up.' Naruto said with a grumble, eliciting a chuckle from Kyuubi.

**'Yes, well, start your stretches for today even though you will most likely not be doing that much physically.' **'

What do you mean Kyuubi-sensei?'

**'Just come down to the mindscape after your stretches kit.' **

'Hai.'

After going through his morning stretch exercises, Naruto sat in a meditative stance, and quickly found himself in his mindscape, seven years of doing this made such an act painfully easy. Upon arriving, Naruto quickly started to traverse the massive trees which blotted out the sky. One might recall his mindscape being a sewer, and while that WAS true, it was found by both Kyuubi and Naruto that the owner's will could determine what his mind appeared as; the stronger the will, the more...extensive the mindscape. Considering this was Naruto, who was always (and still is) stubborn to a fault, his mindscape, when he decided for it to be a forest fit for Kyuubi...was simply massive.

Anyways, as Naruto wove around yet another tree which would make a redwood cry out in envy, there in a small clearing (small for this forest at least) resided Kyuubi, his massive form sitting on his haunches, his nine tails waving peacefully behind him as his eyes fell upon Naruto. Upon arriving in the clearing, Naruto bowed at the waist to Kyuubi.

"Good morning, Kyuubi-sensei."

Kyuubi sighed upon seeing this, a well know routine he had been unable to break Naruto of. **"That it is ****kit, but must you perform such formalities? There is no need when we are alone." **

And he spoke the truth, for after seven years basically alone with nothing but the other, they had become very close, and most certainly beyond a student-teacher relationship, but what they were, they were not sure (Its a platonic relationship to those who are wondering).

Tilting his head to the side, very much reminiscent of a true kit, Naruto replied. "But you are my sensei, and as such it is only fitting I give you the proper respect." He stated it just like he did every other day, and just like every other day Kyuubi gave a great sigh before dropping the matter.

"**Very well kit, however today I have a surprise for you." **

Naruto perked up at this, it wasn't often that such a thing happened. "A surprise, Kyuubi-sensei?"

"**Aye, you remember when I talked about my clan all those years ago Naruto?" **

Naruto thought for a moment, before nodding his head slightly. "Vaguely Kyuubi-sama, but I try not to remember much of that night, for while your avenging of me was..._quite_ enjoyable...the rest...not so much."

Kyuubi nodded solemly at Naruto's response, he didn't blame the kit a bit. **"Understandable kit, but back to the matter at hand, you have progressed at a rate even I am astonished of these past seven years, you have thrown yourself completely into your training, and would prove a challenge to almost any shinobi below a kage at this point." **

Naruto couldn't help but to puff up his chest at this, a complement from Kyuubi truly meant something, as he didn't give them often.

"**In the coming years, I know you will become a force to be feared in these lands, and I could not be more proud. That being said, you are prepared enough, and I find you worthy enough, of becoming the first wielder of the Kitsune Clan contract." **

Naruto's eyes bulged out at this. _'The Kitsune Clan contract? I get to summon Kyuubi-sensei's people?' _"You...you really mean it? This is...I don't know what to say Kyuubi-sensei...I'm honored..."

Kyuubi let out a booming laugh at this. **"You don't have to say anything, kit! Just sign the contract, and perform the handsigns Dog, Boar, Monkey, Bird, and Sheep, cut your hand, and slam in onto the ground while proclaiming "Summoning Jutsu!" Remember, the amount of chakra you put into the technique determines the rank of Kitsune summoned, with the highest being an eight-tailed kitsune, seeing as how the nine-tailed is me, and I am sealed within here." **

As he finished speaking, a crimson scroll with gold-gilded runes appeared at Kyuubi's paws, and with a tail he handed it to Naruto. Naruto, being alone with a person he trusted, was able to let his happiness show with a giddy bouncing to his feet. Upon having the contract handed to him, he quickly opened it up, signed his name in his blood, and watched as the contract rolled itself back up and disappeared in poof of smoke. After doing so, Naruto returned to the real world and blurred towards a large clearing in the forest around his home. Upon arriving, he did the handsigns, gathered a substantial amount of chakra, bit his thumb, and slammed his hand onto the ground proclaiming "SUMMONING JUTSU!" and the area was bathed in smoke.

When the smoke cleared, Naruto realized a few things. One: Since when were the trees below him? Two: He didn't remember the grass being this particular shade of blue, and finally Three: ….he didn't remember the ground breathing either. Upon these revelations, Naruto looked forward, and found himself face-to-snout with a very large, and slightly annoyed looking blue furred Kitsune head. Composing himself (it would not do to appear disrespectful in front of Kyuubi-sensei's people), Naruto bowed at the waist to the kitsune, and said,

"Greeting Kitsune-san, I am Naruto, may I ask of your name?"

At this the kitsune raised an eyeridge, and said in a decidedly feminine voice laced with amusement **"My name is Asami, young Naruto. But I have a question. Tell me how, exactly a human has come upon our contract? I and all the other Kitsune know for a fact the only way to do such would be to gain great favor from Kyuubi-sama, and he has been missing for twelve years now." **

Having expected this answer, Naruto replied in kind. "Before I give you your answer Asami-san tell me, are you able to enter a person's mindscape given that they give you permission to do so?"

Getting truly curious now, Asami gave Naruto her undivided attention. **"I am, all I need to do is concentrate a bit of youki into one of my tail tips and press it onto your forehead, but it would leave us both vulnerable; what exactly is going on here, Naruto-san?" **

"All will be made clear Asami-san, I swear upon my life that I do not have any ill intentions towards you, so please follow me, I have a place where we will be safe." Gathering chakra into his legs, Naruto jumped off of Asani's back and dropped the considerable distance to the forest floor, where upon landing proceeded to shoot off in the direction of the den.

Asani, slightly impressed with the human's speed, followed at a trot and soon both entered the massive cavern in the cliff-face. **"That entrance was covered by a Kitsune illusion!" **

Turning around, Naruto replied in an amused voice, "Indeed it was Asani-san, are you ready?" Nodding her head, she gathered youki into one of her eight tails and touched it to Naruto's head, and both slumped to the floor unconsious.

Upon entering the mindscape, Asani was shocked by the sheer scale of the forest's trees, but nevertheless followed Naruto once more at a sedate trot. However, her composure was competely shattered when they both entered a clearing and sitting there, looking as regal as she remembered, was Kyuubi-sama himself. Remembering just whom she was in the presence of, the quickly lowered her front paws, performing what could only be a Kitsune's version of a bow, and said, **"Kyuubi-sama! It is an honor to be in your presence once again! But...we have not heard from you for twelve years, and to find you in the mind of a human child of all places is shocking, to say the least!" **

Naruto stood off to the side, letting Asani have her say. Kyuubi meanwhile, instantly recognized the sapphire-blue coat of his most trusted advisor, Asani. _'I should have seen this coming, the very first summoning the kit tries and he summons Asani, basically the second-in-command of the Kitsune Clan!' _Straightening up, Kyuubi replied.

"**Ahh Asani my trusted advisor, it has been too long, but pleasantries can wait, I assume you would like the reason behind this?" **After seeing her nod her head, Kyuubi continued. **"Then sit ****down Asani, this will be quite the tale. Now then, it all started the day of October 10****th****, twelve years ago..." **(You already know what happened, recanting would be boring for you and a pain for me)

After the story was done, with Naruto having found his way onto one of Kyuubi's tails (which did not escape Asani), Asani sat there absorbing the shocking tale she was told. **"So let me see if I have this right...you are sealed into Naruto here, and due to the Shinigami himself performing the sealing, you are essentially stuck with the boy until he dies?" **Seeing Kyuubi nod at this, she sighed and went onto the next important detail of the story. **"And Naruto here, you are training him as your protege?" **At this she was slightly shocked at both the warm look and warm tone Kyuubi's voice took as he looked upon Naruto, who was patiently waiting, quite content among Kyuubi's tails.

"**Yes, I most certainly am, and I must say, he is the most dedicated kit I have ever seen." **This was rewarded with a beaming smile from Naruto, and a slight squeeze of the tail he rested upon.

All these quite close interactions were not lost on Asani, so her next statement held a hint of teasing. **"Yes, I can see that now, however I must wonder at whether he may become more?..." **She trailed off at the end, Naruto looking slightly confused by the statement, and Kyuubi sending a warning glance to Asani, who dropped the subject and went onto her last statement before she left for the summon realm once more.

"**Anyways, only one last thing needs to be covered, and then I'll be on my way, and that is the equipment that will be made for you, Naruto. You see, with you being the protege of Kyuubi-sama, you get certain perks. One of these perks is a set of custom armor and weapons, made from a chakra-reinforced alloy. After all, we can't have the protege of our esteemed leader gallivanting around in just anything, now can we?" **

Naruto could only nod absentmindedly. _'Who knew being Kyuubi's protege would reap such gifts? I finally won't look like a moving safety cone anymore!' _

Seeing Naruto nod his assent, Asani proceeded to let a small wave of her youki, also blue, over him, immediately getting Naruto's measurements. Her objectives completed, she bid them farewell. **"I have recorded you measurements, and the armor-smith will be sure to have the sets done within a day or two, for one word gets out of just whom you are protege to, it will be all that old smith will concentrate on, I can guarantee you that much. It has been a pleasure, Kyuubi-sama, Naruto-san." ** And with that, Asani faded out of the mindscape, leaving only Naruto and Kyuubi.

Now that Asani was gone, Naruto was curious as to what she mean by "whether he may become more", and so asked. "Kyuubi-sensei, what did Asana-san mean by "whether he may become more"? I didn't miss the glance you sent at her, and I am curious as to what she meant?"

Kyuubi sighed, getting ready to reveal something he has been pondering for a good year now. **"Well, I planned to talk to you about this eventually, and now that Asani has brought it into the open, this is as good a time as any. But before I do tell you, I have something to ask of you and I want you to be completely honest." **Naruto said straighter at this, giving Kyuubi his undivided attention. **"These past seven years we have lived in isolation with only eachother for company, have you been happy? Would you do this again, if given the chance, knowing just how hard it has been? Answer with a brutal honesty kit, for this is important to me." **

Naruto sat there on one of Kyuubi's tails for a good half hour reviewing the past seven years, making sure that when he replied he gave Kyuubi-sensei just what he asked for, after all, he owed the great fox so much. Once he had compiled his answer, Naruto replied. "Well I will admit that the training was obscenely grueling, and there were times in the beginning where I admit I hated you for it." Kyuubi's long ears drooped at this, but what Naruto said next remedied that. "HOWEVER...while the training was hard and long, and you spoke truthfully of your harshness...it was the best time of my life. I realized eventually that while you were a strict taskmaster, you did it because you cared for me and wanted to make sure that I was well prepared for whatever may come in the future. Kyuubi-sensei...you were the only one who was ever truly there for me when I needed it, you were there to heal me after the beatings, even if you were not aware at the time, you were there to avenge my torture that night seven years ago, and most importantly, you were wholly and utterly truthful to me; if you did not want to tell me something you said as much, but you never lied to me. And for all this Kyuubi-sensei, I care for you more than any other I have met, even what I had with Sarutobi cannot begin to compare." His answer given, Naruto waited for Kyuubi's response, but was shocked when he observed tears streaking down the fox's face.

After hearing what Naruto first said about him hating him at first, Kyuubi couldn't help but lower his ears a little, after all it hurt a bit...but he did ask for brutal honesty, and Naruto did not deny his request. However, his initial pain was quickly swept away by Naruto's heartfelt admittance to how grateful he was to Kyuubi, and just how much he cared for him. At the end Kyuubi couldn't help it, and honestly didn't care as tears of happiness streaked down his muzzle, for this was better than he could have ever hoped, and after such a heartfelt proclamation from Naruto, his decision was made.

"**Naruto...I-I.." **Here he composed himself once more, staring down at Naruto tenderly. **"Thank you, Naruto...what you have just said means more to me than any event I can remember in all my millenia of life. I, in kind, have grown to care for you just as much in these seven years Naruto...I will admit, this past year I have come to view you as the son I've never had." **

Naruto's eyes performed a valiant attempt at escaping their sockets at this statement. _'He...views me as his..son? I mean that much to him?' _

Continuing on, Kyuubi decided to drop the proverbial bomb on Naruto. **"In fact, over the past year I have been tossing this idea around in my head, and with your moving words just now, I have made my decision. Naruto, if you would allow me, I would like to make you my son and heir."** At this Naruto jolted so violently he managed to tumble right off of Kyuubi's tail and onto the ground where he layed there, looking into the vast forest canopy of his mindscape.

After a good ten minutes of not moving, Kyuubi began to get worried...hell the kit hadn't even blinked! **"...Kit, are you there?" **

Naruto remained silent for a few seconds more, then blinked once and slowly looked towards Kyuubi. His face was impassive as he looked upon Kyuubi, and said in a monotone that Kyuubi didn't know what to make of, "You want to be my father?"

Kyuubi gave Naruto a level gaze of his own, and answered in a serious tone, **"Yes Naruto, I do. I swear upon my tails and life I want you as my son for WHO you are, not what you are or what you've done." **

At this statement, the proverbial dam broke, and Naruto blurred as he smacked into Kyuubi's flank, tears streaming down his face the whole time. "YES! YES, I would want nothing more! Thank you! Thank you...father." The last word was said in nary a whisper, as if just mentioning the word would render the statement false. They remained this way for a good hour, Naruto latched onto Kyuubi's left flank like a tick, and Kyuubi curled around the boy with his tails nearly smothering Naruto.

Once Naruto had come down from the emotional high, he looked at his sens-...no, _father_, and asked, "While I can't say how grateful I am for this, what exactly does this mean? How can you really become my father?"

Kyuubi looked down upon his new son and heir, and replied, **"I won't lie Naruto, the process would be painful...possibly more painful than that night, most likely not, but I can't know for sure." **

Naruto gulped at that. _'More painful than burning alive?...he says it most likely won't be, but the mere thought is enough...however, if this is needed for him to truly be my father...so be it.' _Steeling himself, he replied, "Though the thought of that kind of pain is not pleasant...I don't care. If that's what it takes for you to be my father, then so be it."

"**If you're sure...very well. Now let me explain exactly what his will do. What I'm going to do is essentially a massive power transfer, during which I will give you ALL of my considerable power, leaving me as just a soul locked within you, and leaving you as the new Kyuubi." **Seeing Naruto about to protest, he quickly spoke once more. **"Before you protest Naruto, think about it for a second. We both know that there is no way of extracting me without killing you in the process, and I absolutely refuse to let that happen. So when you think about it, does it matter exactly who holds the power? Besides, as you are now your body cannot handle my full power, you would die long before that point." **Seeing his point but still not liking it, Naruto grudgingly nodded with a slight pout, causing Kyuubi to snicker before he continued.

"**Now then, back to the main topic. You will become a full-blooded Kitsune, gaining all our strengths and weaknesses though the latter is virtually nonexistent, well at least as compared to how you are now. However, unlike the rest of the Kitsune Clan, you will have three forms, your full Kitsune form, your hybrid form, and finally, due to your original human heritage, you human form, however even in your human form you new heritage will show through in the form of the changes that overcome you when I am in control." **

"Hold on just a second Kyuu-...father, what exactly do you mean? The Kitsune Clan has two different forms? Why have you never taken on this hybrid form before?"

"**Because I've had no need to, I am most comfortable in my natural form. And before you ask, the hybrid form simply enables us to walk upright, we still retain almost all of our Kitsune features, the only exception being our forepaws become more dextrous, enabling us to grip and hold objects, and our size becomes generally human-sized, though there are exceptions. How else did you think the armorsmith was going to forge your armor, hmm?" **He has a teasing tone at the end, and Naruto couldn't hold in the sheepish blush that adorned his face at the statement.

Composing himself, Naruto asked a question which had been bugging him for a few minutes now. "Father, exactly how long will this process take?"

Kyuubi thought for a minute before giving his reply, **"To be honest Naruto I'm not completely sure, but I do know that it will not exceed a day's time. During the transfer, I will force you into your mindscape for the duration of the change, and comfort you as best I am able." **

Naruto shakily nodded and answered back, "A-Allright, I think I can manage a day _'I hope'_, so when can we do this?"

"**Now if you want, your body is already safe within the cave, so I could start the process at any moment." **

_'Now huh...well damn this is going to suck! But...the reward will far outweigh the initial pain, I'll have a father! No point postponing it...once more...damn this is going to suck.' _Gathering up the full amount of his courage, Naruto gave his consent, "Alright...lets do this."

Kyuubi nodded, gathering up a colossal amount of youki and gave his son some last words before it began. **"Alright son get ready, I'm not sure how much this will hurt...but know this: I am proud of you, Naruto, and I love you." **With this parting statement, he let loose a titanic amount of youki, pouring all he had into the surrounding forest around them, the youki traveling throughout Naruto's body and beginning the process.

Naruto stood there for a few seconds, wondering if this was it...all he felt was a warm tingling sensation... "Hey dad! I thought you said this would hurt? Its only a little...aww hell wait a second that's a little warm-...oh damn that's hot! shit shit shit! SON OF A-AUUUUUGGGHHH!" With this last statement Naruto collapsed onto the forest floor, writhing in agony and making sure everything around him knew it. Thankfully it wasn't at bad as being burned alive...it only felt like barbed knives were being driven into every inch of his body.

As Naruto writhed in pain, Kyuubi quickly picked up the struggling boy and set him down in his mass of tails, whispering sweet nothings into the boy's ear trying anything he could think of to alleviate his new son's pain. If anyone would have walked in on the scene, they would be conflicted as to whether they should run in fright from the massive beast, stare incredulously at the scene, or for those of more...feminine personalities, gush at the sight. It would be nearly a full day later when Naruto woke up again, and his life would be forever altered.

Groaning as he started to rouse, Naruto was finding himself in a great deal of pain. _'Ohhhh...why do I seem to have the tendency to find myself in soul-deep agonizing situations? I mean come on, finding out what a day in the life of a bonfire is like was bad enough! _Sitting up groggily, Naruto absentmindedly scratched his muzzle, waiting for his mind to wake u-...hold on just a second...muzzle? Finally remembering exactly what occurred before he passed out, Naruto dashed to the nearest reflective surface, which was the still waters of the nearby lake. Standing near the water, Naruto gazed at his reflection and allowed his jaw to drop. For there, peering right back at him was what he could only call a mini-Kyuubi. Even then, he was only mini comparatively speaking, because in human terms he was a VERY respectable 7' tall blood red fox. Just like his father said, the only real difference between him and his full Kitsune form was his dextrous paws and a skeletal structure designed for walking on two paws. Besides that, he only thing he could see different from Kyuubi was that his eyes remained their glacier-blue, they just encompassed the entire eye except for his slit pupils.

_'Wow...I mean WOW! Is this really me?' _

**'Indeed it is son, and if I do say so myself you look rather stunning.' **This caused Naruto's right eye to twitch.

'That wouldn't be because I'm a miniature version of you, now would it?'

**'Of course not.'**

Naruto doubted that statement, but chose not to say anything.

After a few seconds, Kyuubi talked in his head again, this time with slight hesitation. **'Son...do you like it?' **

Naruto let off a smirk, which honestly looked more like a snarl with his muzzle, and replied, 'Of course I do! I'm the spitting image of my legendary father! Like father like son, ne?'

Kyuubi laughed at this, relieved his son enjoyed his hybrid form. **"Good, I'm glad you like it son. Now then, onto some technical issues that need to be spoke of. Because you are now a Kitsune, to change between forms is instinctual, just imagine yourself in the form you wish, be it human, hybrid, or kitsune. As a result of your transformation, your speed, strength and reflexes have been amplified about twice over from your already substantial levels, but getting used to these will be a quick task. However, I hate to tell you this kit, but you will need to do redo your chakra control exerciese...well youki control exercises, because not only do you have a completely new type of energy, you have exponentially more to control. Now let's not waste any time, create some clones and go do the basic tree climbing exercises, just be careful on how much youki you use; youki is far more potent than chakra.**

Nodding, Naruto changed into his near-human form, after all, you never know who may be snooping around and the last thing he needed was someone screaming about demons here for anyone to hear. Walking to a tree a little smaller than a redwood, he gathered what he thought was a very small amount of his youki into one of his feet and proceeded to set it on the tree. Unfortunately for Naruto and the tree, he failed to comprehend just how much more youki he had than chakra before, and just how potent youki was.

So it was with a resounding explosion that the tree found itself missing its bottom 10 feet, and Naruto found himself experiencing a day in the life of a cannonball, rocketing the opposite direction from the sawdust he left behind straight out onto the lake, which he thought would be able to stop him. Once more he was sorely mistaken, for upon his body reaching the surface of the lake he found himself just as quickly skipping right back off, repeating this process clear across the lake and onto the shoreline, where upon contact proceeded to dig himself a nice 10 meter trench with his face, finally coming to a stop with his ass in the air, his legs twitching occasionally. This of course was to much for Kyuubi who had watched the whole thing, and finally let loose with gut-wrenching laughter.

**'mmmff!...pppfffffftttt HAAAAAA! BWAHAHA 'wheeze' HAHAHA 'gasp'' **This was the sound that Naruto returned to consciousness with, and upon digging his face out the landscape, proceeded to pout like he had never pouted before.

**'Oh...oh hell! That...'wheeze'...that had to be the funniest thing I've ever seen in all my years! Words cannot describe 'gasp' how funny it looked when you skipped across the ENTIRE lake! And this trench! Look at it! You...you made some of the grass catch on fire!..pffffttt!' **

And once more Kyuubi devolved into a shaking, howling mass of Kitsune in Naruto's head, trying in vain to alleviate his aching ribs. Of course this did nothing to help Naruto's pout, if anything it intensified it. If Uchiha Sasuke were to come across this scene, he would have taken notes on the scowl engraved upon Naruto's face, for surely such a scowl would enable him to destroy his brother with a gaze alone!

It took the rest of the day to just regain his ability to tree-walk, and that was with the veritable army of clones he created to help with such a task. Many trees found their end that day, and many a Naruto clone found themselves experiencing the flight of their short lives. By the end of the day, Naruto could safely say with all his clones memories that he was an expert at the flight path of ballistics...with personal experience.

The next day, while Naruto and his clones were retraining themselves in water-walking (many fish that day were traumatized for life), Naruto stopped mid exercise, feeling some unexplainable tug on his person. "Father, do you know what this tugging feeling is?"

Kyuubi felt through Naruto's senses, and replied, **"Ah, the armorsmith must be done making your equipment, someone of the Kitsune Clan is hailing you. In order to summon that certain kitsune, just concentrate on that tugging sensation while you perform the summoning, they will do the rest."**

Nodding his head, Naruto walked to the shore of the lake and performed the handsigns before summoning whoever called him. Upon the smoke from the summoning clearing, there stood a familiar blue-coated kitsune, hanging from her mouth a small (relatively) satchel.

Upon the smoke clearing, Asani oriented herself before looking around. When her eyes fell upon Naruto, she was momentarily startled, but quickly had a small smirk form on the side of her muzzle. Putting down her cargo, she spoke up. **"Greetings Naruto-san...or should I say...Kyuubi-sama?" **

Naruto smacked his face at this. "Please, just call me Naruto, at least when we're alone. To those I know well and/or care for, there's no need for formalities. When we're not alone, I suppose protocol must be kept, but please speak freely, Asani-_chan_" Naruto emphasized the last word, aiming to throw off Asani.

It worked, for Asani lightly blushed, luckily for her her fur prevented anyone from seeing. **"A-Alright...Naruto. Anyways, unfortunately I'm only here shortly to deliver your new equipment and to explain to you its functions then I must be off, after all, being your second in command is a busy job." **

At the word "equipment" Naruto bolted for the satchel laying on the ground a few feet from him, grabbed the bag and led Asani back to the den so they wouldn't attract any unwanted attention. Upon arriving, Naruto undid the satchel and reverently set out each piece of equipment on an indentation on the cavern wall.

After setting the equipment down, Naruto took his time to view each piece, with Asani waiting patiently in the background for his inspection to end. The first piece he came across was a helm. The metal part really only covered his forehead, sides and top of his skull. The color of the metal was nearly silver, but had veins of ebony which weaved throughout its structure. The helm itself was a masterpiece, the top of it almost mimicked his hair; metal spikes swept backwards its entire length, tapering off only at the back of the skull. On the sides, the ears were completely covered, and from them extended a replica reminiscent of Kyuubi's long ears, with microscopic holes in the area where his ears were located so he could hear. On the front, the helm extended down to just past his eye level, but did not cover his eyes. Two spikes of metal reached just short of his eyes on both sides, and the helm tapered down his nose between his eyes. Upon the forehead of the metal a miniature Kyuubi was gracefully inscribed, showing him in an attack pose with one paw raised menacingly. On the sides of the helm, there were clasps designed to hold a cloth, enabling him to wear a mask while the helm was on, leaving only his eyes and part of his nose showing. (If you need a better mental image, the only comparison I can think of is the helmet on Ninja Gaiden 2, but with the considerable aforementioned attachments to it. While I'm at it, I own nothing of the Ninja Gaiden 1 or 2 game)

The next pieces he came across were shoulder pauldrons. Both were made of the same metal, and were segmented, giving flexibility while still maintaining protection. On the underside of each were black leather straps for attaching the pauldron to the shoulder.

Next were two gauntlets, once again of the same metal, and covered his entire hand and a good half of his forearm. The fingers on each had vicious looking segments, each ending with a spike whilst the tips had menacing claws, which would enable him to wear them, seeing as how his claws would cause problems otherwise. Upon the plates which covered his lower forearm and hand, a flame pattern was inscribed into the metal.

Moving onto the next pieces, Naruto came to his greaves. These were attached to a pair of black-colored tights, and were obviously designed to keep his maneuverability intact. The metal was mostly located on the outside thighs of the tights, with a few thin plates on the back of the legs to hopefully ward off an attack.

Next were his boots. Like the gauntlets they were designed to look menacing, and did an exceptional job of it. The foot of the boot was designed to appear as if it was a fox paw, with four clawed digits extending out the end of the boot. They extended up to form shin guards, with the area of the ankle consisting of a mass of tiny segmented metal plates, designed for the wearer to maintain his maneuverability once again. Like on the gauntlets, they sported the flame like design once more.

The last piece of armor was by far the most substantial: the chestpiece. As with all the others, this too was made of the same metal, it was a form-fitting plate on the chest area stopping at the abs, while the lower torso area had segmented plates protecting his sides, with his abdomen clear of metal. Unlike the others, this piece was for the most part devoid of decorations, the only one being the kanji for "Kyuubi" engraved onto the middle of the chest piece, and seemingly filled in with some red translucent material, giving it an ominous finality.

As he moved onto the weapons he found a set of both shuriken and kunai made of the same metal, with their corresponding pouches, and what appeared to be a nodachi. The nodachi's sheath was an ebony black material, of what he wasn't sure, but upon pulling out the blade itself, he whistled in appreciation. The hilt of the weapon consisted of a pommel in the shape of a roaring fox head, the grip was a comfortable black leather woven around the metal shaft, and the guard was a hollow ring of the metal with nine consecutive tails winding from the base to the outer ring. The blade itself was about 5 feet long, and had very light etches of runes engraved upon its flat surface.

Glancing quickly at the remaining pile of clothes, Naruto was relived to find a pair of black baggy pants, along with a black overshirt to cover his torso, for some reason running around in tights brought an involuntary shudder to his mind along with the color green...weird. His inspection done, Naruto turned to the awaiting blue kitsune, and bowed deeply, stating, "Thank for for this equipment Asani...they truly are masterpieces."

Asani nodded back, and finally spoke up. **"Then I shall tell the armorsmith you send your thanks and praise, I am sure he will be delighted to know that the new Kyuubi thinks so highly of his creations. Now then, onto what exactly your equipment can do. As I've told you before, the metal is an alloy infused with youki, not only increasing its protection, but enabling you to channel your youki through it. While this may not be of much use regarding the chestpiece, greaves or helm, you will find that it will be possible to send out blades of your youki through the claw-tips of both your gauntlets and boots, as well as your kunai, shurikens and nodachi. The clothes you see to the side have the same metal weaved into the clothing itself in an inner layer, giving you moderate protection with those as well. You will find on the insides of your armor are runes. These are there in the occasion that your armor somehow takes damage. While it is very strong, it is not invincible. If such an event occurs, simply send your youki to the armor piece, and it will slowly regenerate using your youki as material. Although I would advise you to do this outside of battle, as the process consumes a great deal of youki and requires concentration you may not be able to spare on the battlefield. Last but certainly not least, all you see here will adjust to your hybrid form should you change with it on, however make sure to take it off if you change to full kitsune form...this armor is amazing, yes, but has its limits. Now, I beg your pardon Naruto, but I need to get back to my duties, good luck, and welcome to the clan." ** With a warm smile on her muzzle, she departed once more in a cloud of smoke, leaving Naruto to admire his new equipment.

**'Well, it would seem we have a lot to work on Naruto. That nodachi means I need to teach you a sword style as well...alright, you know the drill! You may be my son now but that doesn't mean I'll go easy on you, hop to it!' **With that proclamation, Naruto grumbled for a few seconds before proceeding with his pre-training stretches, getting ready for yet another day of training.

**-End of Flashback-**

As Naruto finished putting on his equipment, he decided to see what was going on today. 'Father, you up yet?' Hearing a groan in his head, Naruto withheld a chuckle.

"**...I am now son...never thought you'd be the one to wake me up, but I must admit ever since you finished your training a few months ago, getting to sleep in has been wonderful." **

And indeed Naruto's training was finished, at least for now, for while there were always more fighting styles to teach and techniques to learn, his current arsenal was far more than adequate at the moment with 3 different taijutsu styles mastered, 2 kenjutsu styles mastered, and enough jutsus no make even Kakashi envious; he had his bases covered well. And if those weren't enough? His kitsune illusions were on par with Itachi's genjutsu. And if all of THAT didn't work? Well he could simply change into his hybrid form or, God-forbid, his full kitsune form, in which he could just proceed to step on them.

But just because his training was done did not mean he had been idle these past few months, oh no, he had been out and about earning himself a fearsome reputation, as he figured the time for hiding was over; he could protect himself now. When he unveiled himself with his debut, he sent the shinobi world into a frenzy; decimating the Akatsuki and dropping off their dead bodies in front of the gates of their respective abandoned villages will do that. Now, Naruto was powerful, yes, but even he had to admit that the Akatsuki was nothing to scoff at. One on one, he could handle them with relative ease, but because they traveled in groups of two things were made a little more difficult. While they were impressive alone, the groups they were separated into worked in frightening unity, which belied their conflicting personalities.

When he fought Konan and Pein, he was even forced into his hybrid body because of Pein's Rinnegan. Luckily his terrifying appearance was enough to stun them for a moment, but it was all he needed to turn the tide in his favor and the eventual victory. Madara...he was a pain in the ASS! Thankfully he was cocky enough to think he could take Naruto on his own, and that had sealed his fate. The main problem with Madara was that while he was strong...that paled in comparison by his simple refusal to die! Kyuubi wasn't kidding when he said the eternal mangekyo sharingan made him hard to kill...he literally had to incinerate the bastard down to the last cell! If he didn't he found out (much to his frustration) that he came right back like a damn cockroach.

Of course, after his debut and making sure the guards at the gates got a good look at him before he darted off, Naruto quickly gained a reputation as an elite freelance shinobi, taking high-risk escort, assassination, and infiltrations missions. Due to this he was able to nab a Bingo book off some klutz of a chuunin during an infiltration mission, and found himself listed as a S-Class ronin (don't see those often) with a bounty of five million ryo to turn in alive...nothing if dead. Apparently the villages wanted to bleed him dry once they got him...laughable. Of course, even more interesting was that Konoha's bingo book in the last month had bounties for both alive and dead...wonder if they figured it out? And the last thing he found from the bingo books he nabbed? Why, he got a nifty nickname! Of course, the nickname made him sound like some kind of superhero or villain, but he didn't mind and he couldn't blame them for the name. Given that his favorite (by FAR) elements to use were lightning and fire, especially both combined, and his tendency to form kitsunes in his elemental attacks...he didn't blame them for calling him the Genkeishitsu Kitsune, or the Plasma Fox.

Done with his reminiscing of the past few months, Naruto returned to the conversation at present. "I'm sure it has been wonderful, but I was wondering what was on the schedule for today?" There was a pause, during which Naruto could SWEAR he heard pages turning, before his father spoke up once more.

**'Well, there is an escort mission in the land of Wave, apparently the Daimyo of Wave wants to travel to Snow country to increase trade relations...and he's willing to pay quite well." **

Naruto groaned as he heard the word "escort" "Ugghh...do I have to? You know how much I'd rather just kill or spy on humans...escorting them always makes me feel dirty."

**'Now now, this is to continue your reputation, and if you only kill humans people will fear you, and therefore not hire you.' **

Heaving a great sigh, Naruto conceded the point and jumped out of his den, travelling out towards Wave country.

As he was nearing the border of Wave country, he sensed approaching chakra signatures closing in on him with a pattern that left him either forced to confront them or turn back the way he came. 'Father, you sense them too?'

**'Yes, if I'm sensing them correctly, at least five high-jounin level signatures, and over ten high chuunin to low jounin signatures, and judging by their formation...seems like they've been expecting you.' **

Naruto only gave the mental equivalent of a nod, for they were now within possible viewing distance; it would not benefit him any for them to get any clues as to his identity...and seemingly talking to oneself either told viewers that a: he was crazy or b: there was actually something to talk to. Landing in a small clearing, he awaited his would-be ambushers, and sure enough, not even thirty seconds later he found himself surrounded by...leaf shinobi _'Well shit...looks like my assumptions may have not been so far-fetched after all...'_

"Halt! By order of the Godaime Hokage, you are hereby ordered to come with us!" One of the high-jounin signature shinobi said, his cigarette quickly snuffed out at the presence in front of him...he would need all the concentration he could manage if the rumors were true...even more so if it was who they thought...

The figure in the middle of the clearing slowly moved his head around observing the shinobi around him, the metal of his helm making him seem eerily machine-like. As his eyes passed over some, a few of the chuunin level shinobi couldn't help the shiver that went down their spines as his glacial orbs passed over them.

As Naruto observed them, he had an inner dialogue going on. _'Hmmm...interesting bunch...is that pink hair NATURAL?..yeesh...there's an Uchiha if those red orbs are anything to go by...thought I killed them all...oh well...and...#(O% GOOD LORD what ARE those two? Green SPANDEX...ORANGE arm and leg warmers...and are those fuzzy caterpillars on their heads?...happy place happy place happy place...right, guess I should answer cancer-man over there.' _Shuddering once more at the image of those two...things, Naruto turned his attention to the 'cancer-man' and answered in a monotonous voice, "Firstly, I was standing here when you yelled halt...there was no need. And secondly...who are you and your hokage to tell _ME_ what to do...last I checked I wasn't a shinobi of the leaf.

As he finished speaking those around him prepared for a fight, if this next statement didn't work then they would have little choice. Cancer-man spoke up once more, revealing their ace. "You may not have been a shinobi of the leaf...but you were a citizen, weren't you...Naruto?"

There was a pause as this was revealed, before Naruto broke out in a chuckle at first, which quickly descended into laughter. However, this didn't calm the surrounding shinobi in the least for there was nothing happy in that laugh. It was cold, detached, and carried a good bit of maliciousness in it. "Ah...so you finally figured it out hmmm? What gave me away? I could only assume you put the pieces together, my obsession with kitsunes, my elimination of Akatsuki, my...bestial appearance. Oh well, not like it matters much anyways, you want to capture me and I have no interests in going back to that place. And thus I do believe the time for talk is over, come at me if you dare." The last words were spoken in a low tone, hinting of the danger that doing so would bring as he got into an unknown stance, his hands bared as if they were claws...which upon closer inspection they were.

All was quiet in the clearing for a few moments, before it literally exploded into action, Naruto seeming blurring on the spot at he engaged in a high-speed taijutsu battle with one of the green freaks, all the while avoiding incoming fire from the others. However, what he and Kyuubi failed to notice in all the commotion was that one silver-haired man did not engage him, and instead retreated back a few trees as a contingency plan should everything go bad.

As the fight continued, it became all to clear to those fighting that something was wrong. Here they were, already starting to pant a little, while this...thing they were fighting with didn't even appear to break a sweat. Already he had taken out seven of their number, three of which were high jounin, and the rest were quickly becoming exhausted. What they didn't realize was a dire flaw in mass attacks; the possibility of friendly fire increased exponentially, and Naruto was using that to his advantage, flinging his enemies into their allies attacks whenever he got the chance.

As Kakashi observed the battle, after twenty minutes the outcome was all to clear. Therefore, he gave them all the order to retreat on his signal, and lifted up his headband, revealing not only his well known sharingan eye...but also the far less known version it had now shifted into: the mangekyo sharingan, and his gave him an ability he would use well.

Back at the fight, Naruto and Kyuubi were starting to get suspicious; while their enemies were still fighting, they seemed to only be doing so while waiting for something, but for what they didn't know. As the fight continued, both Naruto and Kyuubi sensed a large increase of chakra in the forest behind them, and at the same time their opponents all jumped away. Swinging around and preparing for an incoming attack, both were unprepared as they peered into the all too familiar eye of a mangekyo sharingan, and the last thing they saw before everything went black was the world distorting around them.

Coming to awareness with a painful crash, Naruto opened his eyes to find himself lying on some sort of odd black gravelly material with the occasional yellow stripe. _'Odd'_ 'Hey father, have any idea what this stuff is?'

Kyuubi was just as baffled as Naruto. **'I'm afraid not son...it almost looks like volcanic lava after it dries, but the complexion is all wrong.' **As both were busy studying this strange phenomenon, they missed the sound of something large approaching, but that was quickly remedied when a blaring siren from hell blazed into their eardrums. Whipping around, Naruto came face-to-grill with a giant mechanical monstrosity.

'OH SHIT!' **'OH SHIT!'**

Ending note: Holy shit...well that's all for now...just 17,000 words and 23 pages...damn my fingers hurt...anyways! Don't expect all chapters to be this big, I just wanted to get on with the main story, but I did not want to sacrifice character buildup; thus the freakishly big chapter. In case you were wondering, yes Kakashi's Mangekyo does indeed do such; look it up or watch the anime...he tears off deidara's arm with it :D. Here he just did it on a larger scale. Right...updates...well considering the workweek starts in...5 ½ hours for me, and I work full-time during summer...I'm expecting to pop out chapters every week or so, with possible variation depending on what I have to do that week. Once more, if you have questions, please ask them in a review, not my email. On that topic...I spent the better part of my weekend writing this, a review would be greatly appreciated, hell even just saying "Thanks" would brighten my day; it tells me someone enjoyed my work, and that's what I'm aiming for here. No reviews makes me think I'm doing something wrong. On the flip side, no constructive-criticism in reviews makes me cocky, so if you see something wrong, grammatical errors, etc, feel free to knock me down a few pegs, it will only make me write better. That being said...YOU JUST LOST THE GAME! ;D ~Aarik076

**zerolelouch99: Thanks for the support!**

**Sonluth: Aye, I admit to the start being overused, but I divert from there! ^^**

**vash3055: 'Glances at pairing' umm...narurena?**


	3. Rude awakenings, a home, andwhistles

**And here we are once again! Thanks for the support for those of you who reviewed, and for those who just read it, I hope you enjoyed it as well. Now then, more than likely Renamon will finally make her debut this chapter for all of you waiting, and yes there will be some interaction, most likely towards the end of the chapter. My plan is to keep the average chapter about 10,000 words long, that way if you need to stop reading you won't have to sift through another gargantuan chapter to find where you were. As for the frequency of updates...we'll see. For example, I'm starting this chapter Monday...as in the same Monday a day after the enormous chapter 2, and we'll see how quickly I can pop this one out without sacrificing quality. That being said...I end my monologue...and on with the story!**

"**You want me to talk into what?**" – Kyuubi speaking, jutsus/digimon attacks

"Get that thing out of my face!" – Normal speaking

'_What the hell was that thing?_' – Thoughts/thinking

'Hello?' **'Hello?'** – Thought-speak

^the line just above this denotes a scene change.^

**Disclaimer : I do not own anything belonging to Naruto or Digimon. However, I DO own this story.**

**-Rude awakenings, a home, and...*whistles*-**

Upon seeing the metal monstrosity barreling towards him, Naruto did not think, he just acted. Fortunately for Naruto this saved him from a rather painful first-encounter. However, things were not so fortunate for little Pablo the chihuahua, but that is neither here nor there. Upon re-orienting himself to his new location after the kawarimi, Naruto retreated into an adjacent alley and quickly cast a kitsune illusion upon the back corner of said alley where he now resided to think things through.

'Ok...lets have a little brainstorming team here for a second father...last I remembered I was fighting a miniature horde of leaf shinobi, until that silver-haired shinobi did something with what appeared to be a mangekyo sharingan...I miss anything?'

Thinking for a second, Kyuubi did in fact remember a few disturbing details from those last few seconds. **'I'm afraid so son...think about the bingo books we've read...who in them has gravity-defying silver-hair, comes from Konoha and has one sharingan eye?' **

Naruto nearly smacked himself for his idiocy...the traits were obvious. 'Well shit...Sharingan Kakashi, owner of over a thousand jutsus _'though I know more, you silver-haired bastard' _

**'Aye kit, and apparently he had the mangekyo as well; if you remember, each mangekyo grants the owner an ability that only they can use...and I think we found out what his was. I clearly remember space seeming to warp around us before everything went black...what does that sound like?' **Kyuubi finished in a solemn tone, and Naruto paled at what his father was suggesting.

'A dimension warp...but that's impossible! Shinobi have tried for _centuries_ to create a jutsu with such an effect...and here a man was simply _given_ it?' 

**'Regardless of the impossible odds of such a thing occurring...look around you son...do you recognize **_**any**_** of what is around us? To further confirm the fact...reach out with your youki...what do you feel?' **

Looking around, Naruto couldn't help but admit that the only thing he could recognize around here were the bricks on the buildings...and that was only the one on his right! The one to his left was made entirely of metal...metal! Taking Kyuubi's final suggestion to heart, Naruto let out a barely noticeable pulse of youki, looking for whatever his father wanted him to find. _'Don't know what he wants me to find...I don't feel an-...I don't feel ANY chakra around here! But I'm in what appears to be a massive village!' _Concentrating, Naruto finally was able to sense the chakra signatures swarming around him. There were thousands!...no, tens of thousands, if not more! However...'They all have a civilian's chakra...most even lower...'

**'Correct...which tells us that either they have their chakra users VERY well hidden...or the more probable scenario considering our situation, is that they simply do not know of it.'**

Sitting down for a minute, (carefully, this alley was disgusting!) Naruto absorbed what he was just told _'A world with no chakra-users...can this be real? I suppose it has to be, seeing as how I'm looking at it...well at least I have a clear advantage here.' _'Well...on the bright side father, I have a very clear advantage over the inhabitants of this dimension, so it would seem.'

Chuckling, Kyuubi replied. **'That you do son...what say you to exploring our new home? I doubt we're going to find another dimension warp just lying around.' **

It was a slightly depressing thought, but it wasn't too hard of a hit; after all, the only beings he has attachments to came with him, considering that he could still feel the presence of the Kitsune Clan, a perk of being their leader. However, it would be highly unwise to summon them here...he had a feeling the humans would not appreciate it. 'We might as well father, and while I'm mapping out our general location, keep an eye out for any possible locations for a new den.' Feeling his father's acceptance, Naruto proceeded to body flicker to the top of the brick building then quickly scale the enormous metal building, which apparently had large windows as well, which he avoided. Upon arriving at the top, Naruto perched himself on the edge to get a good indication of how large this village was...and froze in horror.

'F-f-father...what the hell is this?' For instead of a boundary marking the edge of this massive village...everything as far as he could see was covered in buildings, with only the occasional patch of trees... none of which could be considered a true forest. 'Buildings...everywhere!...the humans are everywhere!'

Kyuubi didn't bother to respond for a moment, considering he was just as stunned. After composing himself he took notice of his son's rising panic and quickly spoke up. **'Calm down son...they cannot be everywhere, for if they were, how would they get food? You need very large tracts of land to feed such an enormous population, so there is bound to be natural land somewhere.' **

Naruto calmed down slightly at this, but still wasn't happy. 'I suppose so...but there's so many _humans_ around here...its making my skin crawl just standing here!'

Kyuubi sighed at this...while he could understand his son's aversion to humanity, his multi-millenia of experience had shown that while a large part of humanity was indeed how Naruto imagined them, there were those whom were just the opposite...he just had to find them. **'Naruto...while I can understand your reasons for your hatred...not all are like the ones you encountered. I'm not saying you have to like them...but not all of them are as bad as you think.' **

Naruto's face blanked, and he replied in a monotone. 'Until they prove otherwise father...they will always be vile creatures in my eyes'

Sighing, but dropping the subject regardless, Kyuubi fell into silence once again _'Well at least he's giving them the chance to prove it...'_

Naruto once more started exploring his new surroundings, jumping from rooftop to rooftop at speeds which no human could see. Silently he admitted to himself that what he saw was impressive...the kage towers of the villages he had been to back at his dimension were absolutely tiny compared to some...ok _most_ of the buildings he was traversing. A few seemed to even touch the lowest clouds...a feat seen only in Kumo...and that was only because they built their village on the top of a mountain, not ground level! Continuing on his exploration, he soared across the skyline for a good twenty more minutes before Kyuubi finally spoke up.

**'Hold up a second son! I think I see a spot that might just be an acceptable area for your new den. Let me take over for a second and lead us there.' **

Giving up control, Naruto's eyes simply changed from glacier-blue to blood-red signifying Kyuubi's control. Naruto watched as his body headed towards a decently sized plot of trees in the middle of this enormous city; while it was not a full-blown forest it was the largest group of trees around, both in amount and size. It did have some open areas and paths for humans, so it was apparently some kind of park. As they landed Naruto was given back control, and he proceeded to look around with an illusion cast over him.

Naruto almost immediately dismissed any area close to a path, open field or one of those colorful metal contraptions that small children seemed attracted to, and instead sought the more forested areas of the park. Upon passing what appeared to be a forgotten shed of some sort, he briefly considered it before dismissing it. He did not know for certain that is was abandoned, and a used shed suddenly disappearing would attract unwanted attention to his new den. It was nearing sundown by the time Naruto found the location of his new home; a natural rock formation that was well covered by the surrounding trees, with a stream winding its way past a good 50 meters away. Smiling to himself and making sure no one was near, he cast a silencing jutsu to nullify any noise and cast a large area kitsune illusion over the formation; if any stray pedestrian passed by, it would appear that nothing had changed at all.

Nearly 3 days of drilling with the occasional food/sleep/business break later, Naruto finally finished boring out his new den. His method of drilling out his home was a variation of Kyuubi's Menacing Ball attack. Instead of actually letting it loose into an apocalyptic beam (while although fun, would be quite counterproductive), he instead kept it in a compressed sphere and spun it at high-speeds...unknowingly nearly replicating his ex-father's famous rasengan, just made with youki and quite a bit more powerful. The design of the den itself was nothing too complex, but nevertheless had some ingenious additions to it. The entrance was simple enough, an eight foot tall arch was bored into the rock formation, and immediately started heading downwards at approximately a 30 degree decline. This continued for a good 100 meters, but in a spiral so that his den would lie below the natural rock formation, thus avoiding any awkward encounters should anyone decide for whatever reason that they needed to dig around the area (He admitted he might be a little paranoid with the security of his den...but he wanted some peace and quiet, damn it!). Running along the side of the passageway was a small semi-spherical canal, no more than 6 inches deep. This canal started from atop the rock formation near his entrance, a small 6' radius shallow cone funnel carved into the top of the formation with a hole drilled at the center which led down into the beginning of the canal at the cavern entrance. The purpose of this was to channel water down into his den for drinking purposes and, if there was enough rainfall, a possible bath.

Upon the entrance passageway ending a good 30 meters underground, the path leveled off into a 9' circular main room with a radius of around 10 feet As of yet nothing was put there, but he planned to..._acquire_ a few commodities for it, namely some cushions and cloth for a sitting area. Three short halls branched off from this main room, all three leading into similar but slightly smaller circular rooms. The one to the left (when facing from the entrance) is where the water channel trailed off to, the hall at a slight decline while the canal maintained its height carved into the side of the passage, so that once the room was entered it was about 4 feet high off the cavern floor. The channel wound around carved into the wall of the room until it hit a deep basin also carved into the wall, where the channel poured into. This was to be the drinking water for his den, should he not want to go to the outside stream. A canal of the same size was carved into the opposite side of the basin for when it was full. In such an event, (which was likely; the vegetation around the park suggested heavy rainfall) the water would flow into the new canal, which gradually wound down the side of the wall until it hit the floor, where it then emptied into a very large pool which took an entire half of the room, designed to hold enormous amounts of excess water.

The middle room was very simple, once more a circular room but this one was empty. He planned on this room to be a storehouse for his food. His small amount of scrolls he carried on him were full of kunai, shuriken, ninja wire and his nodachi, so he was forced to stockpile his food in here and use preservation jutsus to keep it fresh. While he preferred to eat his meals fresh and raw, it was always a good idea to prepare for anything...his father made sure this was drilled into his head.

The last room was the bedroom...well what he considered a bedroom. Humans might raise an eyebrow at his idea of one, but he was not human, now was he? It once more consisted of a simple circular room. This room would hold his armor, weapons and clothes while he was not wearing them, as well as the rest of his belongings. To the right when you entered, the wall was bored out along the floor into a space that reached 5 feet up, 8 feet across and about 6 feet inwards; this was to be his 'bed'. Of course, this would either have comfortable blankets or a mass of furs draped on the floor here to form his bed.

The last obstacle he came across was simple...things 30 meters underground were very, VERY dark. To alleviate this situation, he simply used what he did at his old cavern (which was FAR larger); youki lamps! These were gifts for him on his fifteenth birthday, after Asani noticed how dark his home got well before the sun went down. Simply put, these were paper lamps designed to hold a decent amount of youki in the seals embedded in their wooden tops, that when upon being charged would channel minute amounts of youki into the youki-infused paper of the lamp, making it light up in a glow of whatever color the lamp was designed for. Naruto requested a soft but deep blue...for although he liked his red fur...he found that he got pissed off easily if he was surrounded by the color.

Upon giving a final inspection and making sure everything was fine, Naruto cast an extremely powerful kitsune illusion upon the entrance and funnel atop the rocks to hide his presence, and with a weary sigh, dragged himself into his room, threw off his armor and clothes, changed into his hybrid form and slunk into his fur-laden bed before falling into a deep sleep as soon as his head hit the furs. (He took all his possessions from his old den remember? That includes the furs for his bed) Nearly a full day later Naruto woke up, feeling more well-rested than he had in a while...then again it had been quite some time since he was able to sleep in his hybrid form. Walking into his storeroom, he quickly nabbed a rabbit hanging from the wall and ate it as he entered his washroom. Upon entering a smile made its way across his muzzle _'Looks like it has rained since I've been asleep'_ And indeed it had, the basin was full, and the pool was up to 2 feet near the wall. (maximum of 8 feet, deepest at wall, tapers off to 3 feet at base) While it wasn't all that much, the canal had a small stream pouring into it, the sound of running water quite comforting. Done with his inspection, Naruto got a quick drink and headed back into his room to get on his armor and face the day.

While putting on his armor and changing back into human form, Naruto heard his father beginning to stir. 'Good morning father.'

**'mmfff..hmm? Oh, good morning to you as well son...I didn't mention this before you fell asleep, but outstanding job on the den, it looks quite cozy.' **

'Thank you, I'm quite proud of it myself, and yes the bed proved to be as comfortable as it looks.' Kyuubi nodded at that, before speaking up once more.

**'Doing some more exploring today son?' **

'Yes, I have yet to explore the area around the den thoroughly; our initial location was quite far away from this park, after all.' All he got was a feeling of acknowledgment from his father as he fell silent, content to just sit and watch through his son's eyes. Gathering up himself for yet another day amongst humans, Naruto exited his den after making sure the area was clear, and darted off into the surrounding cityscape.

It was nearing mid-day when Naruto finally sensed something of interest; an odd chakra signature that seemingly originated from the very park where he now resided. Curious, Naruto approached the signature through the trees, making sure to suppress his youki to nearly undetectable levels as he came within visual range of the signature. Oddly enough, it seemed to be coming from the shed he dismissed a few days back...seems his intuition was correct after all. However, before he could move closer to see what was inside, he sensed another presence and concealed himself in the branches of the tree before waiting.

It was under his incredulous gaze that a boy that appeared no older than 13 with brown hair and huge yellow goggles approached the shed with what seemed to be a box of pastries, if the scent emanating from it was anything to go by. However it was the way in which the boy approached that spiked Naruto's curiosity...it was as if the boy was making sure no one was around...to bad for him. Once the boy was sure (or so he thought) the area was clear, he did a complete personality-flip, standing up straight and literally shouting "Hey boy! I got some bread for ya!" Naruto nearly fell out of the tree at this due to the weight of the sweatdrop that formed on his head _'Damn...I know he's not trained in stealth or anything but...just wow.'_

However what happened next caused him to freeze on the spot, for out of the shed came what he could only call a huge red lizard which proceeded to tackle the kid. He was thinking about intervening until he saw that the lizard-thing was actually...playing with the kid? 'Right...so that odd chakra I felt is coming from a very large, very red...and very playful lizard...' "Takatomon!" '…...very large, red, playful, _TALKING_ lizard...father? You see this too right?'

**'…...Yes...yes I do...though exactly WHAT I'm looking at I have no idea. I would have initially ****said a lesser beast race...but I've met ALL the beast races throughout my years, and none look anything like this.' **

'Right...well lets just keep quiet for now and observe.'

**'Agreed.'**

Naruto sat perched in the tree for a good twenty minutes just listening to them banter. Well, truly it was quite one-sided with this 'Takatomon' kid (though somehow he doubted that was his real name...or he hoped) ranting on and on about anything and everything, with the big red lizard called 'Guilmon' (which the kid called him) nodding absently while he attempted to stuff as many pastries into his mouth at once as he could. He noticed the kid kept swinging this odd looking red and white device around while he talked, but seeing as how it didn't seem to do anything he dismissed it. Having enough of these two for one day he dashed back out onto the skyline once more, this time remembering what that unique chakra-like signature felt like...who knows, where there is one, there is most likely more.

As he continued his roof jumping he reviewed what he gained from the conversation...and it wasn't much...in fact in the time it took to jump two roofs he was done. Guilmon, while it had what seemed like a pretty decent amount of muscle buildup, was...slow, to say the least, and not just physically. He talked and acted like one would at the age of five, maybe even less. 'Takatomon'...screw it, he's gonna call the brat Takato...he didn't miss the flinches whenever Guilmon would call him Takatomon...and Takato sounded far better. Anyways, Takato...he might have been even worse than Guilmon. While it was obvious the kid had some type of education...he seemed like a complete airhead with an attention span of a flea with ADD. All in all...while this Guilmon could most likely cause trouble to the humans around here if he so wished...to him? Threat level: Nil.

It was around three in the afternoon when he detected the next signature. While it seemed to have some base familiarity with the previous, it was unique as well. The location however surprised him, for instead of being hidden in some secret hideaway like Guilmon was...the signature was moving, and in an area full of human signatures. _'Surely these creature's aren't a common sight? If that were the case that brat would have no need to hide Guilmon.' _Now curious, Naruto perched on the edge of a building and looked below him where he detected the signature coming from. At first all he saw were people...until he spotted what appeared to be the lovechild of a rabbit and a narwhal atop a mop of blue hair and acting very reminiscent of a doll. 'While I can certainly appreciate their use of the term "Hiding in plain sight", I must ask the question: father...what the hell is that? I can kind of understand an overgrown lizard...but this?' Judging by the dead silence in his head, it seemed that Kyuubi hadn't the slightest clue either. Sure enough, **'...You're guess is as good as mine son...seems we really know how to pick dimensions eh?'** Naruto snorted at that 'Not like we had a choice anyways.' **'Errr...right. ****Anyways I suggest you follow this pair as well, we might get some useful information from them and they don't appear to be as...absent as the previous.' **Nodding, Naruto set off after them, making sure he masked his signature as he followed them to a large apartment building. When they entered, Naruto perched on the roof and waited until both signatures came to a stop in a room connected to a balcony. Quickly performing a camouflage jutsu, Naruto crawled down the side of the building until he was just above the balcony where the two resided. He tried to get as comfortable as he could while clinging to a wall upside-down vertically and listened into the conversation inside, which even though it was whispered and through a wall, his kitsune hearing quickly negated such trifle barriers.

Henry sighed for what seemed the hundredth time today as he listened to Terriermon once again whine in his oh-so-sarcastic way about not being able to battle any digimon. "But Henryyyy, why won't you let me fight any? Its not like the bad digimon are going to come back as zombies and eat our brains after we delete them!" Sighing once more, Henry prepared to, once again, tell Terriermon why _'Maybe __I shouldn't have let him watch those zombie movies...'_ "Terriermon...that's EXACTLY why I won't let you fight! Digimon are alive just like humans, we can't just go around killing them! On top of that, I don't want you to have to kill anything!" "Momentai...fine...we'll just let them go around attacking people." _'There's his famous sarcasm again...' _"You know I don't mean it like that. If we had the chance to talk to them I know things would work out, but someone keeps deleting them before we get there." Terriermon just rolled his eyes at this "Whatever you say, Henry."

Back outside, Naruto was quite pleased with the information he got from that pair as he once more proceeded to roof hop. 'Much, _much_ better than the previous two, these guys actually had a meaningful conversation with some useful information!'

**'I'll say, its certainly was refreshing...even if that 'Henry' human was...a severe disappointment.' **

Naruto couldn't quite keep the scoff of disgust off of his face at that. 'Disappointment is a complete understatement, father! He's the biggest pacifist I've ever heard of! According to the conversation, more of these 'digimon' are around, and they're not nearly as nice as the ones we've seen...and that kid wants to _talk_ to them? He had better be grateful that he was born in this dimension instead of ours, he would have been eaten alive, but not before becoming the laughing stock of the shinobi world! 'sigh' But I'm ranting...so let's review what conclusions we can make from this last conversation. These creatures are apparently called digimon, and if what we've seen is any indication, they are very...diverse. Secondly, those two seemed to be partners of some sort, and Henry carried a device just like that Takato kid did, only his had green instead of red which leads to the conclusion that those devices have something to do with this partnership they seem to have in both cases. Finally, there appears to be "bad" digimon that come from...somewhere...which proceed to attack anything around them; anything I miss?'

Kyuubi thought for a moment, seeing if there was any hidden clues in the previous conversation. Finding none, he replied, **'No, I think you have the bases covered son, good job on the intel by the way, I told you those espionage missions were worth it!' **

'Hai hai...but damn they were boring...anyways, what say you to sweeping our general are for one of these "bad" digimon? Maybe we'll get lucky, I've really been itching for a fight ever since we've arrived here.'

**'I agree, and if you want we can spar some more in your mindscape, we haven't done that in quite some time' **_**'Not to mention he's the only one who can actually manage to match me...before he came along I hadn't had a good fight in millenia!' **_

'I think I'll take you up on that offer regardless of whether we find a digimon or not...its just too much fun to say no! What say you to a Menacing Ball spree tonight?'

One could almost hear Kyuubi writhe in anticipation. **'You're on son!'**

Smiling at the fun they would have in the mindscape tonight, Naruto focused on his surroundings, sending out pulses of youki to serve as a sort of chakra-detector.

Four hours and many games of "I spy" later, Naruto finally got a hit. The sun had just set, so he no longer had a need to sustain his camouflage jutsu so he let it go, his intimidating form phasing into existence complete with spiky, gleaming silver armor and helmet, his mask securely fastened on his face. Upon arriving at where he felt the chakra, he came upon some odd stationary fog that seemed to stay in place. He entered cautiously, memories of an old foe coming to mind who specialized in the "Silent Killing" style; Momochi Zabuza. After passing the fog, he stared at the being facing away from him. It appeared to be some sort of large, yellow furred ape, with what appeared to be a few...feathers..coming out of its lower arms. (Its an apemon) Before he could decide whether or not to battle this overgrown monkey, he heard what appeared to be a young girl's voice shout out "Walk all over him, Renamon!" _'Walk all over him? Sweet Kami above that was horrible! She needs a few pointers in...how...to...' _Here his thoughts completely derailed, crashed and exploded simultaneously as he beheld an angel burst out of the fog and land a vicious round-house kick on the ape's face, sending it careening into a tree.

Now, one might ask what could have caused such a battle-hardened veteran to freeze in the middle of a battle situation? Well it's quite simple, for before Naruto's eyes was simply a vixen from Kami above. She stood at what appeared to be either just seven feet tall or a little below it. All of her paws were covered in a soft white fur, and were adorned with 3 black claws. While her hind paws were shaped just as any fox's, her forepaws were separated so that she was able to hold things with them. On top of that, both of her forepaws were adorned with purple fingerless gloves that nearly extended up to her shoulders, each glove adorned with a yin-yang symbol. The fur on her belly and up was the same white as her paws, disappearing under a mane of white fur which encased her entire neck. The rest of her legs and torso were covered in a golden yellow fur, with the exception of purple yin-yang shaped fur on her outer thighs. Coming out of the junction where her arms met her shoulders, three golden spikes of fur shot out backwards, slightly fanning out. Her tail could have slightly dragged on the ground if she let it, and was a mass of fluffy golden-yellow fur until the tip, which was once more white. Her ears were long, he daresay as long as his in his hybrid form, narrow and golden-yellow furred as well until the tips, which were white. Her muzzle tapered off into a dainty black nose and a small mouth, and she had what appeared to be a zig-zag of purple fur under her eyes. And her eyes...they were what truly caught his attention. Floating in a black abyss, her glacier-blue pupils (exactly matching his eye's color, just not slitted) seemed to pierce through her opponent as she glared at the ape. In Naruto's eyes, perfection was the understatement of the millennium.

Staring agape at the sight for a few seconds more, Naruto's shinobi side eventually won out, snapping him out of his daze, and jumped onto a tree branch and watched the fight below, still having a hard time snapping out of it. _'Gah! Enough already, ogle later, pay attention to surroundings now!'_ 'Hey father, keep a look out for that girl we heard earlier while I keep an eye on the fight' waiting for an acknowledgment and getting nothing after ten seconds, Naruto tried again louder this time 'Father!' This time he received a very inattentive answer. **'huh?' **'...father? Snap out of it! Yeah, I know she's a beauty but we have a fight to pay attention to!' …..**'huh?' **'sigh...FATHER! I'm giving you a fair warning, don't make me use force!' …...**'huh?'** 'right...don't say I didn't warn you...Godspeed father.' Sending his 'force', Naruto went back to paying attention to the fight.

In Naruto's mindscape, Kyuubi was a drooling bag of hormones right now, far too busy eying the vixen through Naruto's eyes. So engrossed in the heavenly vision was he, that he didn't pick up the first sound, but the second sound echoing through the forest snapped him out of his daze long enough to notice his odd surroundings. Usually the forest in here was relatively quiet, but still had the sounds of wildlife in it. These were absent...the forest was eerily silent. To add to the weirdness, the forest either had day or night judging on whether Naruto was asleep or not...right now it was in a gloomy twilight, the trees casting hazy shadows upon the small clearing in which he lay.

"..h" Kyuubi turned in the direction he heard the noise, yet the forest was eerily quiet once more. Straining his ears, he managed to make out what sounded like a twig snapping far in the distance. "..sh" there it was again! Swinging around faster this time, Kyuubi was beginning to get a little nervous, the dead silence of the forest disturbing him. "...osh!" Whatever it was it was getting closer, and seemed to be either rapidly changing location or there was more than one. _'__**What did Naruto say?...something about warning?'**_beginning to get a bad feeling now, he got down into a ready crouch "yosh!" this time he heard the word clearly and was very near; it tugged at his memory as if he had heard if once before. Waiting for a few minutes this time, he heard nothing more. _**'Maybe whatever it was went away...'**_ Nodding to himself, Kyuubi turned around to get comfortable once more...and stopped as he stared into a pair of massive black orbs. Everything was silent for a moment, before..."YOSH! GAI-SENSEI, I HAVE FOUND THE ONE YOU SPOKE OF!" Kyuubi did what any being would do when confronted with such a creature, especially upon remembering just what was before him...he screamed like a little schoolgirl, backpedaling frantically to get away from the monstrosity...only to freeze in horror when he heard a similar, yet even louder voice behind him. "YOSH! CONGRATULATIONS LEE! YOUR FLAMES OF YOUTH BURN BRIGHTLY TONIGHT! COME, LET US WELCOME OUR NEW BROTHER INTO THE FOLD! With this, brow freak senior proceeded to bring out a massive green spandex out of...somewhere. What was weird was that it kind of had the shape of...a...fox...**"OH KAMI ABOVE! I'M SORRY! NARUTO I'M SORRY! I'LL BE GOOD, I'LL PAY ATTENTION I SWEAR IT! **Soon Kyuubi's screams of horror could be heard throughout the entire mindscape.

Chuckling softly as he heard his father's desperate pleas, he waited only a few more seconds before dispersing his mind-horrors, as he liked to call them. He let his father be, knowing he would need some time to recover, and watched as "Renamon" proceeded to finish things up, jumping into the air where she seemed to hover, and crossing her arms in front of her chest before flinging them out to her sides, where upon she cried out "**Diamond Storm!**" As if summoned by her words alone, hundreds of small ice shards rained down upon the ape, who cried out in one final act of defiance before exploding into some kind of energy mist, which Renamon promptly absorbed.

Naruto reviewed the fight in his mind, going over what he saw of her. _'Not bad really...her speed is low to mid-chuunin if I were to guess, and she seems to have no clear fighting style...more of a freelance. However, considering she most likely trained herself, it's impressive. She does need to work on her strength a bit, while its considerable, it can be more. All in all, a little rough around the edges, but the potential is there, it just needs to be harnessed.' _Done with his review of the fight, Naruto once more looked back to where Renamon stood. However, only a few seconds after he did so she suddenly tensed and looked in his direction, and quickly locked eyes with him. Seeing her eyes slightly widen, Naruto decided it was a good time to go...for now. He would keep track of this "Renamon"...out of the three "good" digimon he had seen so far, she had the most promise...and the fact that she was beautiful helped as well. Seeing that she was preparing to advance on him, Naruto crouched down upon the branch he was on, coiling his powerful leg muscles, and with a mighty snap of his legs hurled himself clear of the tree and into the night sky where he body flickered to a nearby rooftop, missing the astonished gaze he left behind.

_'Another night...another fight.' _Renamon sighed as she dodged yet another far too slow "**Mega Bone Stick!**" _'For a champion, this monkey sure is slow...both in the head and movement-wise.' _Dodging his far to obvious move once more, she struck his side calling out **"Power Paw!"** Apemon stumbled back, his chest heaving...a rookie she may be, but that doesn't mean you should underestimate her. Seeing that her opponent was on his last leg, she decided to wrap things up. _'Might as well; Rika will get mad at me if I prolong this fight any further.' _Jumping into the air, Renamon gathered some of her energy and initiated her finale **"Diamond Storm!" **As the Apemon gave one final defiant cry, Renamon gave off a soft sign before absorbing his data. _'Lately it feels like these battles are hardly doing anything for me...its as if I've reached some kind of barrier...' _As she prepared to return to her tamer, she sensed a barely noticeable odd energy signature in a tree to her left. Preparing for possibly another digimon, she spun around and looked at the area where she felt it coming from. There on a branch far above the ground was whom she felt, and upon seeing it she felt her eyes widen. The being was clad in a mixture of pitch black cloth and a silvery metal which seemed to have veins of ebony winding through them. While the black cloth just made the stranger blend in well and appear secretive, the metal armor that adorned his body made her internally shiver...cruel claws extended out of his gauntlets, his feet were clad in boots eerily reminiscent of her own feet, only with 4 claws instead of 3, and it was flat-footed. However it was his (for the general shape certainly appeared male) face and helmet that was the most intimidating. The helmet had cruel spikes adorning its top for its entire length, and ear shaped protrusions, once more eerily shaped like her own ears, extended from the sides. His face was completely covered by his mask, giving him a mysterious appearance...that just left his eyes which were peering at her with an intensity like none she had seen before...the glacier-blue so much like her own...but even she would admit that these twin-icebergs staring at her had a coldness to them that left her short of breath. Luckily that coldness didn't seem reserved for her, instead he seemed to be...evaluating her? Indeed, he peered down upon her as if studying an interesting specimen...and it was beginning to annoy her.

He was obviously a human if his shape was anything to go by, and he certainly didn't emit any digital energy. Getting ready to apprehend this unknown male, she tensed her legs, only to stop as he saw this and got into a crouch as if preparing to spring. _'Good luck jumping from that height human, the fall alone wou..." _She trailed off in the end, gaping in astonished disbelief as the human _rocketed_ into the sky, where he seemed to hover for a moment before vanishing in a flash of flame. _'I-I-Impossible! No human has such capabilities, and he was not a digimon, so just how did he do that? I don't think even I could jump that high on my best of days!' _Gaping for a moment longer, she was caught off guard by her tamer entering the clearing.

"Renamon! What took you so long?" Rika stood there, hands on her hips and a stern frown on her features.

Taking a quick glance back to where the mysterious stranger had disappeared, she managed to school her features into a look of nonchalance. "I just thought I heard something is all, and went to investigate."

Rika's frown deepened just the slightest amount before replying "Well come on! I plan on getting at least some sleep tonight!" And with that she marched off back towards the house, Renamon phasing into the shadows and following Rika, all the while her thoughts on the mysterious man.

Over the following months Naruto kept a vigilant, but distant watch on Renamon and Rika, only getting within detection range when there was a fight. This at first disturbed Renamon, and she tried to confront him several times before she began to notice odd things in her fights. It was at first insignificant things, like the digimon she was fighting would flinch for the barest of moments, giving her just enough time for a well-placed strike. It was during a harder battle against an experienced Greymon that she finally caught onto just what was happening.

When she was about to be rammed by the dinosaur when a silver gleam zipped through the air between them, startling the Greymon enough so that she was able to roll out of the way in time. Upon glancing at where the silver object landed, she found a large knife-like object with a circular loop attached to the end of it. She recognized it from one of the pouches she spotted on the man during their first encounter...so he was distracting the digimon when she needed it, but not enough to ruin her fight?...Interesting, but what were his reasons? She did not sense any malice coming from him, and the few times in which their eyes locked she saw only genuine curiosity. At more and more battles came and went, he showed himself more and more to her, and after two months he stood in plain view of her in the branches of the trees, helping when needed but otherwise just watching. Oddly though, he always steered clear of Rika, as if he had an aversion to her. She found herself looking forward to the next battle, the mysterious man who did things no human could do made her curious as well, they even shared the occasional small smile after battle, though it was hard to tell through his mask. They had yet to say anything to one another, but for some reason she had a feeling that would change soon as well.

It was a cool clear night when Renamon was awoken from her spot in the backyard tree by Rika's d-power detecting yet another wild one. Looking forward to meeting the mysterious man yet again, she eagerly followed behind Rika as they approached the entry zone. However, she was getting a bad feeling in her gut as they walked through the fog, and she soon found out why. There, standing in the middle of the area was an abnormally large Allomon. Upon Rika's declaration of "Walk all over him, Renamon." She dashed towards the behemoth, landing a direct **Power Paw** onto the side of his head. Imagine her surprise when the Allomon barely even flinched, and retaliated with a **Dynamite Head **at point blank range, causing her to cry out in pain as she was launched into a nearby tree, momentarily knocking the wind out of her. "Renamon! I know you can do better, I expect more from you!" Not wanting to let down her tamer, Renamon stood up once more and approached the Allomon again, this time with much more caution...this champion was abnormally strong. He lunged at her, and she rolled out of the way before jumping into the air, preparing a **Diamond Storm**. However, she was once more caught off guard when the Allomon rolled as well, albeit clumsily, and let loose a stream of fire right at her with a cry of **Dino Burst!** She nearly screamed in pain this time, the fire licking at her painfully. She had seen the strange knives desperately trying to distract the Allomon, even to the point of directly attacking the digimon, but he just seemed to shrug them off as if they were nothing (which, considering their size probably were). She tried to get up, but pain wracked her entire body as she did so, therefore she was left defenseless as yet another stream of flame came at her, her vision blurring in and out of focus. As the fire was nearing she recognized the black and silver which seemed to appear in front of her, and for the first time she heard his voice...though whatever she was expecting this certainly wasn't it. **"Hold onto me tightly. Quickly!" **Startled by his menacing voice and the anger she heard in it, she started for a moment before she latched onto his back as he faced forward. The last thing she heard and saw before everything went black was his cry of **"Menacing Ball!" **and the sky suddenly turning a violent crimson as the world seemed to fall silent with an ominous pulse.

When she awoke, it was not to the feeling of bark underneath her or the sound of wind passing through the tree, it was to a soft, oddly furry ground and the faint sound of flowing water echoing. _'Furry ground? Flowing water echoing? There are no echoes in a tree!' _It was then that memories of her fight flashed through her mind, the abnormally strong Allomon, the pain of the flames, the menacing voice of the man as he told her to grab on...

"The man!" She shot up, her ear-tips scraping along the low ceiling of the bed area. She looked up, confused by the stone above her head before she heard an oddly familiar voice.

"You should be more careful, we wouldn't want to add a concussion to your list of injuries, now would we?" A deep voice resounded, holding just a hint of amusement in it.

Turning towards the voice, she once again saw the mysterious man, this time sitting on what appeared to be a simple stool made out of wood, while he sharpened a _very_ long sword with a methodicalness of one who had done such many times before. While she observed her surroundings, he spoke up once more.

"Sorry if the accommodations weren't to your liking, they're all I have to sleep on though, so I had to make due."

Feeling a little rude for being so quiet, she finally spoke up. "No...its fine, quite comfortable if I do say so myself...but what happened, and where are we?"

He seemed to heave a sigh of relief, though at what she was not sure, before he responded. "You remember the battle right? Up until I told you to hold on?" Seeing her nod he continued, "Well, after you held onto me I got us out of there, but not before...dealing...with the overgrown lizard...after all, we wouldn't want your..._partner_ to get hurt."

While she was grateful for the rescue, she did not like the way he emphasized partner...like it was distasteful just to say it. "Thank you for the rescue...but I do not appreciate you talking of Rika in such a way...what has she done to you?"

He gave a weary sigh before responding in a reminiscing tone. "I...am not to fond of humans."

This statement left Renamon greatly confused. "What do you mean, not fond of humans? Aren't you one yourself?"

Apparently this was the wrong thing to say, because his eyes grew cold behind his mask before he seemed to listen to something for a moment, giving a slight nod _'odd'_, and his eyes once more returned to a neutral look and he answered in a voice thick with amusement, "Rena-san, look at my eyes...see anything odd?"

At this she faltered for a moment at the odd question before doing as he asked. _'What exactly am I looking for here? White sclera? Check. Glacier-blue irises? Check. Slitted pupils? Chec-...slitted pupils?'_ Looking once again, she saw that he did indeed have slitted pupils...which humans did not have. "Slitted pupils...what are you?"

He seemed to pause for a bit at that, giving her a scrutinizing gaze, before redirecting her question. "Maybe later...I never answered your previous question did I" Previous question?...oh the location! Seeing her realization, he held his arms to his sides, palms face up in a facade of greatness "Welcome to my humble den." The last word caught her off guard, why would he call it a den?

"Now then, why don't you get up and we can grab a bite to eat and get some drink, what do you say?"

Offering his still gauntlet-covered hand, he waited until she lightly grasped it and was quickly lifted to her feet with a surprising strength. Nodding her head in thanks, she looked back at where she lay and paused for a moment. _'No wonder what I was resting on felt furry...I was sleeping on furs!'_ The stored this info away as yet another interesting quirk about the man, and followed him out of the room and into the main one, which held a few soft looking bundles of fur but nothing more. Following him into the far left room, she looked at the channel of flowing water carved into the wall of this stone home, and was impressed by the room they entered. It seemed to be a washroom of sorts, and like everything else she had seen in here so far besides the furs, everything was either made out of stone, or carved out of the wall itself. Upon being led to a basin in the wall, she nodded in thanks before cupping her paws and proceeded to take a few gulps full of the water, which was surprisingly fresh and cool, considering she saw no means of cooling it down in here...which let her to ask her next question.

"Where does this water come from? I noticed it flowing in the main room, do you have a pump or something?"

Naruto gave a light chuckle before responding, surprising Renamon once more...she had never heard him chuckle or anything near it...he also seemed to be more open here. "To answer your first question, the water comes from the surface if it rains. As to the second, it ties in with the first; the water simply flows downwards."

At this revelation Renamon snapped her head up to stare at the man incredulously. "Wait, we're underground?"

This once more amused Naruto, he actually let a laugh slip through this time. "Indeed...a little over thirty meters to be exact."

This only served to confuse Renamon even more. _'How can he be underground in a city this populated? This most certainly isn't any basement I've ever seen'_ "...Where exactly are we? This obviously isn't a basement, or at least not one I've ever seen."

He stopped his drinking for a moment before regarding her with that critical gaze again for a few moments before responding. "I could just transport you out of here without you knowing...but I would like to think I can trust you. A word of caution; I do not give out my trust easily, nor do those whom break it get off easy; I give this warning because I do not wish to harm you. Can I trust you, Renamon?"

Not expecting such a brutally honest response, she looked at his eyes and saw that he was being quite serious...a breach of trust would not be taken lightly...so she needed to think this through. Although he was extremely secretive and paranoid, she supposed he had his reasons...he wasn't human, that had to be a big factor. Secondly, though she was suspicious at first, his helping her out when she needed it went a long way in her eyes, especially since he had saved her life earlier...if he held ill intentions towards her, saving her wouldn't be very advantageous to him. Although it would pain her to keep secrets from Rika...she will keep his trust.

As Renamon was thinking, Naruto was quite pleased. Unlike most people who would immediately answer in the positive, she took her time to actually think about this. This, more than anything else was what convinced him that he could trust her, for she realized the gravity of the situation and responded accordingly; she was being truthful to him with this act alone.

Her decision made, she finally responded. "You can trust me..." here she trailed off, realizing she never got his name. "You know it can be considered rude to know someone's name and not give your own?"

He actually had the grace to look away sheepishly at that. "Ah...it would seem with all of the excitement I've forgotten such a basic courtesy...my name is Naruto."

"Then you can trust me, Naruto."

Naruto clapped his hands together, as if closing an imaginary file. "Excellent! Now, what would you prefer; to eat first or know exactly where we are?"

Before she could answer her stomach decided to do so instead, drawing a blush from her. _'Thank goodness for my fur, that would have been embarrasing.' _

Meanwhile Naruto was just barely suppressing a snort _'I bet she thinks I don't know she just blushed...when one is naturally covered in fur themselves, they find other ways of noticing.' _"Well, it appears your body spoke for you...hmmm...you do like rabbit or deer right? If not I'm going to have to go find something else..."

Rabbit? Deer? Odd...well she wasn't picky, considering the fact she ate what she was given with Rika, such a trait would be quickly crushed. "Well, to be honest I've never had any but I'm willing to try."

He nodded at his before asking a question which caught her off guard. "Well that works, now for the final question before we eat. Do you eat it raw or cooked?"

"I suppose whatever is readily available, I should be able to eat it."

He nodded once more and turned around, heading into the middle room and calling out behind him, "Perfect! Follow me, the food's stored over here."

Upon walking into the room Renamon had to compose herself. If she didn't believe his remark about not being a human before, she was a firm believer now. A whole wall was was covered in dead animals, all hung up with a rope and staked to the wall. Naruto just walked up to a clump of rabbits, grabbed one, and acting as if all this was completely normal, tore a chunk out of it, quickly chewing it before swallowing. While Renamon had hunted for small game on occasion when her stomach was not satiated by what she was given, and therefore she was relatively used to this...seeing it coming from one who closely resembled a human was...disconcerting. As she thought this she realized something important, something she had been curious about for months now...his mask was off!

Feeling her gaze on him, he remembered his manners and finished his bite before turning around and offering her a sheepish smile before asking, "So which do you want? Deer or rabbit?"

It took her a minute to answer...she was too busy looking at his face. _'Once more his claims are proven...those marks on his cheeks mimic whiskers a little too well to be coincidence...and his FANGS!...how can they fit in his mouth? They're just as big, if not a little bigger than my own! Oh right, what to eat?...well he seems to be enjoying the rabbit well enough..' _"Rabbit please, might as well have the same thing."

He nodded before unhooking another one and tossing it to her. "And don't worry about it being rotten or anything, I have methods of preserving food indefinitely." He said cryptically before he went back to his rabbit, tearing through it like a rabid dog.

She just stared a moment more before starting on her own at a more sedate pace. _'Not bad...most certainly better than what I'm used to having and those stringy 'squirrel' things.'_ Once they were done eating, he led her back to the main room where they finally went up the entrance passageway. She was surprised at just how deep they were...and in solid stone...for him to do this in a city without anyone knowing was quite a feat.

Upon finally exiting the passageway however, she did not bother to hide her shocked gasp. "Shinjuku Park! How have you managed to hide in here for so long?" She heard a chuckle behind her before she was answered.

"Rena-san...turn around."

Upon doing so her eyes widened...the entrance was gone, replaced by solid rock. Then, appearing like some phantom, Naruto seemed to phase through it until he was standing in front of her, greatly amused by her surprise. "H-How? How did you do this?"

"I plan to tell you everything eventually Rena-san...but for now, grab onto me once more, I think I've let your...partner...stew enough...perhaps she has learned a lesson; we shall soon see."

Rika! With all that had been going on, she had completely forgotten about her! She didn't even hesitate to latch onto him this time. Naruto put on his mask once more before using the body flicker, both he and Renamon disappearing in a flash of flame.

When Renamon opened her eyes once more after closing them upon seeing the flames, she was slightly surprised (she was trying very hard to no longer be surprised by anything Naruto did, it couldn't be good for her) to find herself in the backyard of Rika's home. Sighing, she prepared herself to let Rika know she wasn't deleted.

Unknown to Renamon, Naruto was still there, cloaked and waiting for the upcoming reunion. _'Lets see if the girl has learned her lesson.' _When the door opened and he saw the girls eyes, he already knew his answer. Sure enough, only a few minutes later and it was only his father's calming words that kept him from leaping at her.

**'Easy Naruto, I don't like it any more than you do, but what would attacking help? We both know that Renamon cares about this Rika person, therefore hurting her would do nothing except gain Renamon's ire.'**

His advice got through, and Naruto took a few deep breaths before heading back to his den...that didn't mean he liked it though. 'For all that girl knew Rena-san could have been dead! And instead of being happy she was back, she scolded her for not meeting her expectations? Feh...just how many chances am I supposed to give father?'

Kyuubi had no answer for this, he just remained silent as the headed back into the den.

The next few days passed much like the previous months did, with both Renamon and Naruto meeting up during the time a wild one would appear, with him actually momentarily attacking the digimon should Renamon need the assistance. At times this caused the digimon in question to attack Naruto instead of Renamon but not too often...he was _greatly_ limiting himself in the battles, so he often presented the smaller threat, or so the digimon thought. However, this all changed when in a battle against a strong devimon, Renamon once more found herself unable to get away from the powerful attack. Naruto took advantage of this opportunity, creating a clone and henging it to look like Renamon before having it kawarimi with the real one so that when the attack hit it really did look like she was deleted. While Rika was busy staring at where Renamon supposedly died, Naruto quickly beheaded the unaware Devimon with his nodachi, after which he jumped to where Renamon was, and both disappeared in a flash of flames once more.

Upon arriving to the familiar soft-blue lighting of Naruto's den, Renamon was about to ask just why he did that before he beat her to the punch. "Before you ask, I made it look like you died for one reason: to hopefully get Rika to learn a valuable lesson about how to treat others. As a side-benefit however, that leaves you with at least a week with no contact with Rika; I'm going to drill this lesson into her head. However, you will not be idle during this time. From what I've observed, you are most certainly very impressive for a 'rookie' level digimon...but you can be so much more. You use no specific fighting style, mainly relying upon your dexterity and speed. While this is good, you can be better. Therefore, for the next week I will be teaching you how to fight using a style that will greatly benefit from your attributes. I simply refuse to watch you nearly be deleted another time...not on my watch, and I won't always be there to watch your back. Your training begins tomorrow at dawn, any questions?" All this was rattled out in a no-nonsense voice; his twelve years of training with his father enabling him to speak with an air of command about him. As it was, Renamon only stared at him incredulously for a few long moments.

**Ending Notes**: Well now...things are finally starting to come together! I know some of you out there are probably questioning why I had them knowing each other for months and yet they aren't together, and the answer is quite simple. Rushed relationship in a story make a poor story, especially in a story where romance is one of the two describing factors. However, to calm you nerves I will say this: during the next chapter I fully plan on them getting together. Not sure where in the chapter, but it will happen. Once again, thank you for reading the story so far, I hope you've been enjoying it. If you really like it, say so in a quickie, hell you can say "awesome dude" and I'd be happy. If you don't like it, once more say so...though with a reason, but hey if ya feel like flaming you can do that too, they keep me warm. Now, onto the review responses!

**Bahumat knight: You're in luck! Indeed the paring is Naruto/Renamon, and no it won't take them forever to get together...but I shall say nothing more on the matter! :P**

**InfinityAtmo: Thanks for the support!**

**Raizen Lord of Twilight: Yeah I'll admit, Naruto's hatred towards humanity was, and still is quite extreme. However, I can say it will get better...as for Rika paring up with him as well...doubt it but the possibility remains...we'll see where the story goes.**

**Ryu The Reaper: Consider your wait over! :D**

**aquamewblast: Basically, Kakashi opened a dimensional portal right over Naruto. Watch his fight with Deidara in the series, he does the same there only to a smaller scale, he just warps part of Deidara's arm away :D**

**zerolelouch99: Neither actually, Naruto went to the Digimon Tamer's world.**

**Nulled Lucied: Consider your agonizing wait ove—holy hell! 'dives for cover'**

**Saric: Your wish is granted! Chapter 3 up!**

**Mikey123: Thanks for the fav!**

**Sefirot: Thanks for the compliment! And as for returning to Konoha...I highly doubt it. If he did it would most likely be to finish what Kyuubi started.**

**Kyuubi's Vixen: lol, oh, something got smashed alright...it just wasn't a car ^^;**

**Neokyuubi18: Sweet, my first constructive-criticism, thank you, really ^^. You mean like most of my words are in the paragraphs?**

**Hakkyou no Yami: Your fears can be alleviated, I have no plans of anyone else coming over...as for Sakuyamon I'm not sure...that's quite the conundrum! Does the two-in-one deal count as fair game or cheating, lol?**

**Narutoshamanking : Thanks, and here you are!**


	4. Training, love, and meetings

**Annnnd here's chapter four! Since this one will have the majority of it typed up during the long weekend, it will most likely be longer than the 10,000 words per chapter I plan on churning out on average. Thing will start to pick up now, and you'll see the plot of Digimon Tamers coming into play here. It most certainly not be the same, it may have many of the same fights but for the most part, what happens during the fights will deviate from the show. Oh, and one more VERY important subject: I am testing out a new writing style after reading some reviews about how my story's chapters are too "block-shaped" and "painful on the eyes"...I think I get what they're trying to say. To fix this, the only "block-shaped" paragraphs are ones in which explanation or descriptions are given. A change of speaker or points of view will be denoted by a space between lines. Consider this a beta run...I will post a poll after this chapter, letting you; the reader, decide which you want: my old style or new. If you like the new, I will go back and fix prior chapters, and continue writing in such a manner. Now, enough of this college bum's banter, on with the story!**

"**You want me to talk into what?**" – Kyuubi speaking, jutsus/digimon attacks

"Get that thing out of my face!" – Normal speaking

'_What the hell was that thing?_' – Thoughts/thinking

'Hello?' **'Hello?'** – Thought-speak

^the line just above this denotes a scene change.^

**Disclaimer : I do not own anything belonging to Naruto or Digimon. However, I DO own this story.**

**-Training, love, and meetings-**

….He wanted to what? Apparently Naruto sensed the question, to he reiterated his previous statements.

"I'm going to train you, Rena-san. I will not allow a friend of mine to be ill-prepared for situations in which he or she could have otherwise been fine if they had the proper training." Once he was done he fell into silence, silently staring at her in a ram-rod straight position, his own training showing through.

Meanwhile, Renamon was surprised _'and a little touched'_ she added to herself as she went over what he said. _'He wants to train me, and for the sole reason of wanting to make sure I'm not unprepared...and he called me his friend...' _She couldn't keep the warm smile off her muzzle at the thought, it would seem after all this time she finally began to chip away at the ice that surrounded Naruto's emotions. While he would show them to her from time to time, he would always seem to catch himself after a moment and school his face into an impassive mask once more...it was rather frustrating. Upon hearing his confession of his feelings of friendship towards, she was determined to find out just what had happened to make him into such a...turbulent individual. For while he did show a friendly attitude to _her_... it was a completely different matter for anyone else, especially humans. She could tell he was trying to be nicer when he mentioned Rika, and for that she was grateful.

Snapping out of her thoughts with a small smile still on her muzzle, she looked at Naruto and said in a warm tone, "Thank you Naruto, I accept your training...and I consider you a friend as well."

His mask of aloofness seemed to take another massive blow, for he gave her a genuine smile at that. Not his smirk or amused smile, but a grateful one...she lightly blushed upon seeing it, but concealed it well. He spoke up again, his voice sharing the warmth.

"For that I am glad...it has been a long time since I've made a friend..." he trailed off in memory and Renamon frowned at the clue he had unknowingly given about some of his past.

_'He hasn't had any friends in a long time?...Well I can sympathize with that...the digital world isn't an ideal place to form friendships and regardless of how much I wish otherwise, I know Rika only views me as a tool...for now.' _

"But I digress...the first thing I will teach you will be a hand-to-hand fighting style, or a taijutsu style. The one I shall teach you is most effective against bipedal opponents, and to utilize it to its greatest potential one needs to have an expansive knowledge of the general anatomical properties of a biped. Tell me Rena-san, do you know much about the anatomy of a biped? By this I mean not just how one looks, but mainly the mechanics behind movement."

"While I am fairly familiar with them from fighting the occasional biped opponent...I would not consider myself having "expansive knowledge" of the subject as you advise."

Nodding, Naruto beckoned for Renamon to follow him once more into his bedroom. Upon arriving, Naruto grabbed a scroll and unrolled it, looking at the many unfamiliar kanji upon its parchment. Just as she was about to question him on it...he bit his thumb drawing some blood and smeared it over one of the kanji. Instantly, there was a small poof of smoke before revealing a...book?

"What did you just do Naruto? Where did that book come from?"

Naruto smiled at his...it was fun getting such amusing reactions to chakra...or youki, as is the case. "What you just saw, Rena-san, was called a sealing technique, or fuuinjutsu. By drawing seals upon scrolls and focusing some...energy into them, you can create a vast array of responses. What you just saw was me deactivating a storage seal...basically this book was temporarily held in a pocket dimension of sorts."

Her eyes boggled at that...a pocket dimension? Was such a thing possible...well obviously it was, that book certainly wasn't there before...and what did he mean by energy? "Naruto, you said it took seals and energy...what kind of energy?"

Naruto mentally applauded Renamon, she was a sharp one! "Yet another secret I'm afraid, Rena-san...but don't fret, I promise that before the week is up I will tell you about this energy."

While she was a little put off by his secrecy, his promise to tell her put her at ease so she nodded in acquiesce. "Very well Naruto...but what exactly does this fighting style do, and does it have a name?"

"Eager are we? Well, the name I made up myself as I haven't seen anyone else fight with this style...and I've seen MANY people fight." Another clue...though a discomforting one. "Anyways, I call it the "Puppetmaster" style...and the style lives up to the name. You see, what this style mainly focuses on is making your opponent move the way you want them to by manipulating their own body against them. To do this, once must have an extensive knowledge on a biped's typical uncontrollable reactions. Perhaps if I actually show you an example of the style it would be easier to grasp?"

She nodded at this, because while she grasped the concept, the full impact of such a style was still lost on her.

"Very well, but for this I will need a live subject...one that is not you. Even examples of this style can be brutally painful, as most of the attacks directly attack nerve clusters. If I was serious I could kill someone in two moves without having to move my feet...this is not a style to be taken lightly, Rena-san."

Her eyes widened at his statements _'He's not joking here...this style he wants to teach me apparently is not for the faint of heart...and the way he spoke so lightly about killing someone is unnerving.' _

Seeing that she was paying close attention he continued. "Are you adverse to finding a human test subject that is a criminal? One that has done atrocious deeds?" She shook her head, as long at the person was guilty she was ok...didn't mean she liked it though. "Then let us find a subject, you use your shadow-merging abilities and follow me; once I find a person pay close attention, for although I will try and prolong the confrontation it will still most likely be quick." With this last statement they went outside before Naruto went at a moderate pace, making sure Renamon could keep up as he headed towards a darker side of the city he had spotted a few days ago.

They finally arrived in an area with dilapidated building, the people below not looking much better. It did not take long to find a criminal...in fact he was in luck, for across the street in a dark alley, what seemed to be a gang was in the process of mugging a woman. He heard Renamon growl low in anger, and he shared the sentiment. While he may not have liked humans, he still did not like to see any being in distress that did not deserve such. Making sure the alley entrance was clear, he jumped onto it and walked into the alley itself, soon attracting the attention of one of the gang members.

"Well well well...what do we have here boys? Some cosplayer wannabe trying to play the hero huh? Go home kid, there's nothing to see here!" Naruto just remained silent, his posture seemingly bored. This of course made the leader of the group mad...this kid was mocking them!

"What's with that look, you think you're too good to answer me or something? I was just gonna let you get off with an empty wallet kid, but now you can join the fun! C'mon boys, lets show the hero how its done!" His proclamation was met with the whoops and laughter of his gang members as they pulled out anything from knives and nightsticks to a crowbar. They charged, looking forward to pulverizing the brat.

When the first one got close enough to swing his nightstick he fell into Naruto's range, and the decimation began. Up above perched on a pipe Renamon crouched, her eyes wide and her thoughts racing as she observed the...fight. Naruto seemed to weave through the mass of bodies, his own attacks being short, efficient and brutal. As one threw a punch at his head, he struck the inside of the man's left arm with two fingers, collapsing the man's Axillary artery in that arm while quickly thrusting three fingers of his other hand into the man's side, causing him to reflexively pitch towards that direction.

It was then that Renamon began to grasp the sheer destructive capacities of this style, as even before the man started to pitch from the jab, Naruto's other hand was already heading towards an area that while unoccupied at the time, quickly found the man's throat there. Naruto's foresight struck true as his hand jabbed the man's exposed carotid artery in his neck and thus collapsing that one as well. With two main arteries blocked off, one supplying the brain with precious oxygen, the man quickly succumbed to his injuries.

When the man fell, it was as if a restriction was lifted from Naruto; the next moments would be ingrained into Renamon's memory for a long while to come. He simply flowed through the mass of humanity like a wraith, striking them as he moved past. Some strikes caused the men to reflexively hit their own comrades, but most where quick, efficient and brutal, as he finished up one of his jabs with an palm thrusting into a man's face, his nose's cartilage instantly dislodged from the attack and sent lancing into his brain, the man falling dead instantly.

As the death toll rose quickly, Renamon was now admittedly frightened. It was not the fact that he was killing...she had done such with digimon many times. No...it was the _manner_ in which he killed which frightened her. His moves were completely fluid, his attacks precise and exercising maximum efficiency; minimizing his effort and striking with a clinical accuracy. As he struck they moved to his efforts...the style was aptly named...for he literally made them move to their deaths. It was not lost on her just how effortless this was for him...just how powerful was Naruto? But the most frightening thing was his face all this time...while he danced his dance of death his face remained stoic, his eyes having an almost _bored_ look to them...as if such a thing was a daily occurrence for him!

It was this thought that led her onto a completely different train of thought. Just _what_ had happened in Naruto's past for him to turn out this way...to kill with such nonchalance? Her face lost its frightened appearance at this, quickly becoming replaced with one of pity...not for the slaughtered men below, but for the young man who was forced to become such a cold killer. She silently vowed to herself that she would help him regain some of his lost innocence...or at the very least some happiness. When all was quiet she exited her thoughts, seeing the bodies of twelve men laying scattered about the alley, all having died of internal injuries.

Naruto took a glace around the alley, spotting the woman who was attacked huddled up in a corner of the alley, her eyes wide open as she looked upon her saviour...and the man who had just killed twelve others with all the effort of stepping on an ant. Naruto slowly approached her before standing in front of her, looking down upon her with no emotions. He tossed something at her, which she quickly realized was her purse. "Go home, woman. These men only have the shinigami to bother now." Not needing to be told twice, the woman exploded from her position on the wall, sprinting out of the alley like the hounds of hell were after her...not too far off, but he wasn't chasing her, now was he?

He looked ahead as he sensed Renamon appear before him. He was not enthusiastic about meeting her gaze...he knew what awaited there. He silently admitted to himself that he had lost his cool during the fight; the sight of the gang brought back very unpleasant memories from his childhood. What he had initially intended to be a group of unconscious thugs turned into a massacre. Steeling himself, he looked up into her face, ready for the revulsion and horror awaiting him.

However, upon meeting her eyes and looking at her face, Naruto was left in a state of shock. For, instead of the familiar sight of disgust etched upon her face, both her eyes and muzzle exuded an intense feeling of pity and sadness. Naruto's eyes opened wide in shock when she went even one step further, enveloping him in a hug. He just stood there for a few moments frozen in shock before he ever so slowly returned the hug, just enjoying this rare moment. In his mind, his father was watching with a warm smile on his muzzle _**'She's the one, I know it now...she will be the one who will release Naruto from his isolation and loneliness.'**_

After a minute Renamon finally said something, her voice thick with emotion. "Just what happened to you Naruto? What kind of past did you have to force you to become the way you are?"

Naruto closed his eyes at this, a lone tear managing to trace down his face as he heard the genuine concern in her voice. _'She cares...she actually cares about me! The only ones who ever had before were father and the Kitsune Clan...she is the only one other than father that has shown such concern, knowing almost nothing about me beforehand...' _Trying to gain some composure once more, Naruto answered, still in the embrace. "...Give me a few days Rena-chan...the memories are painful and I need time to cope with them...in three days time, I shall tell you what you wish to know...and thank you for this, I needed it more than I knew."

Renamon blushed at the -chan suffix affixed to her shortened name, apparently her actions were more beneficial than she realized. "Ok Naruto...in three days."

Naruto broke the hug, secretly missing her touch. "Alright...enough of the solemn mood, I'll have plenty of that later anyways...lets head back to the den, staying around would be most unwise." At this they proceeded to head back, and within 10 minutes both were sitting upon furs in the main room. "So, now do you understand just what this style does?"

She certainly did...such lethality and with such ease! "Yes I do...just as the name implies, you make their body move where you want it to go, leading them into the next strike with a guaranteed hit...and a critical one at that."

Naruto smiled; he greatly enjoyed having a smart student. "Very good, nice observations. While this style is not _as_ effective against other body types, it is still very effective nonetheless. Now then, I want you to read that book tonight, mainly memorize the locations of the arteries and nerve clusters. While the style used more than just those two categories, they are essential to the basics of the style."

She nodded, quite curious herself as to just what he did internally to those men. The way his style worked, he didn't even need to break their skin...he could but it was not necessary most of the time. "Alright, you have your assignment for tonight, now I will teach you the basic katas, or stances, of the Puppetmaster. Mimic my moves exactly as you see them."

As they proceeded to move through the basic katas, Naruto eventually decided to both correct her stance and teach her how it felt simultaneously. By pressing his body against hers, his arms and legs up against her own, he guided her body throughout the different stances.

During this, Renamon considered it a blessing he could not see her face, for the doubted even her fur could conceal the radiant blush adorning her muzzle. While it was obvious he was in shape, it was now all to clear just HOW in shape he was. She could feel his muscles coil and stretch with hers, bulging and extending as he moved in a way that would make water envious, his smooth motions never hitching even once.

Unknown to her, Naruto was enjoying it just as much as her smooth curves pressed against his body, conforming to his perfectly. He took in a lungful of her scent...it smelt like a forest, a pine forest to be exact, mixed with the smell freshly fallen rain...quite pleasant and relaxing to him.

They continued going through the katas for another hour and a half before stopping for the day, Naruto seemingly meditating as he talked to his father, while Renamon read up on her new anatomy book.

For the next three days as this process repeated Renamon quickly finished the anatomy book, finding the intricacies of the body fascinating and the possibilities during a fight staggering. Their progress through the katas were also going well: Renamon was able to go through all the beginning stances by herself at the end of the three days, and was beginning the intermediate stances with Naruto's help. However, the most astounding process was not with training, but in their relationship. The day of the gang massacre and the following events had apparently awakened something in the both of them, and they found themselves drawn to the other, their talks becoming far more comfortable and natural. However the day had finally arrived, and not a moment too soon, for Renamon desperately wanted to know what Naruto's big secrets were.

Upon awakening in the soft embrace of the furs, Renamon gave off a content sigh before stretching and crawling out of the alcove. Upon glancing down the hall and seeing Naruto sitting in a meditative position waiting for her, she abandoned all other thoughts of food and other such trivial matters, setting herself down in front of him.

Naruto opened his eyes and Renamon could see the flood of emotions going through them...she didn't blame him, it couldn't be easy for him. "Well, today is the day I tell you what you wish to know Rena-chan...what would you want to know first?"

She though for a moment, before deciding to start off as light as she could. "Might as well start on the not-so-emotional subjects...you talked about energy before but did not specify, what was it?"

"Ahh, I had nearly forgotten that event. That energy is called chakra...at least in humans. In my species, our energy is called youki. It is a mix of both our physical and spiritual energies, and with it the possibilities are endless. However, because we are literally using our life energies, if one should use too much of it that there is not enough left over to support the body...you will die." Renamon's eyes opened wide at this. "When you see me move my hands in certain ways, what you are seeing is called hand signs. Shinobi back in my world use these to channel their chakra, and while my race does not really need such a thing, it helps to have an ace up the sleeve, and I'll admit that the human shinobi are creative when it comes to jutsus, or what you form your chakra/youki into."

Renamon noticed something VERY important with his last comment. "Wait a second...you said "my world"? What do you mean?"

Naruto signed, this would be a shocker. "Rena-chan...I mean what I said...I was transported here to this dimension through a dimension warp that was created by an enemy."

Renamon sat there stunned for a good ten minutes, trying to absorb that fact. _'He's...from another dimension? Well it would explain all of his abilities...but still!' _Then something occurred to her that made her plead she was wrong. "Naruto...do you want to go back? Are you trying to go back?"

His answer was immediate. "While I did look at first, it was not a priority for me. And now? I have no intention of going back, I have nothing there, and I do here."

She smiled internally at his hidden meanings, hoping her assumptions were correct. "Ok...so chakra and youki...got it. Now for a question I've been wanting to ask ever since you gave yourself away...what are you?"

Naruto chuckled at her eagerness before responding. "You really want to know? The answer is bound to leave you speechless, that I can guarantee." Not letting this deter her, she nodded determinedly. "Very well...what I am about to show and say stay between us...I am a kitsune." Upon this declaration, he shed the majority of his apparel, leaving him in only pants, and underwent a transformation.

When he was done, Renamon was quite sure any second now her eyes were going to explode from their sockets and launch into space. There, standing before her was the most intimidating, rugged...damn _handsome_ fox she had ever saw. He stood a little taller than her, about 7' 2" if she had to guess...not including the ears. He was covered in fur the color of fresh blood, and unlike her smooth coat, his fur stuck out wherever it could in tiny jagged spikes, giving him a dangerous presence. His feet had become paws like hers, but had four claws instead of three...and they looked razor sharp. His legs became digitigrade, enabling him to walk on all fours with little problem. His claws that he had adorned in his human form had become flexible looking paws with five razor sharp claws. Behind him, nine very long, narrow tails waved calmly, giving him a regal presence. His head, however was what really got her attention. His face now a blood red muzzle, his ears just as long, if not longer than hers. Around his eyes and leading up the middle of his ears in a stripe was black colored fur, giving his visage a fearsome, yet ruggedly handsome appearance (at least to her). His eyes had remained their glacier-blue, but encompassed the entire eye with the exception of his slit pupils.

As Renamon studied his hybrid form with a downright frightening intensity, Naruto himself was sweating bullets...well if he could at least...but he was most certainly doing so in his mind! _'Well this is it, the moment of truth...ok well that would actually be her seeing my true kitsune form...but I have a feeling I won't be changing into my several hundred yard tall kitsune form for a while.' _

(Note: many people may find his full kitsune size a little ridiculous...hear me out. I looked at screenshots taken from the series itself showing Kyuubi before he was sealed. . look at the trees, and remember which trees these are...KONOHA'S trees...ya know, the redwood-esque trees? See how they barely pass his paws? Yeah...the fox was BIIIIIG.)

While Naruto was becoming a nervous wreck, Renamon was having trouble composing herself as well...something that was becoming commonplace around Naruto and was nonexistent outside of that sole scenario. But this was not due to nervousness like Naruto was experiencing, she was experiencing a very confusing mix of emotions; a strange combination of shock, relief, happiness, and a slight bit of anger. The shock was obvious enough: he was a kitsune...from another dimension. Happiness...was a bit more complex. Though she would not admit it...ever since that fateful day in the alley, her considerably impassive personality she took on with _everyone_ became the personality she took on with _everyone_...except Naruto. After bearing witness to what he was forced to become, she followed through with the silent vow she made to herself that night and tried to make him as happy as she could the past three days. It was during her efforts to make him happy that she slowly started developing feelings towards him...which shocked her and disturbed her greatly. While it was true that he was not human...he was also certainly not a digimon, and though he had some bestial qualities to him...he was most certainly not anything resembling a fox like herself. It was these thoughts which disturbed and distressed her the most; it would not matter if such feelings grew...such a thing could never be pursued. Upon discovering that he looked like _THIS_...made her quite happy, for although she was not yet ready to pursue such a relationship yet...at least the avenue now seemed to be open a lot wider than it was before. The feelings of relief went hand in hand with this.

The feeling of anger...well that was minute, and was only there because if he had shown this sooner, she would not have been so distressed. Thankfully, she was a fox of reason and realized that he had a valid reason for hiding such...and getting angry at him now would be disastrous if his nervous expression was anything to go by.

Finding her voice, she decided to relieve Naruto of the tortuous wait. "This...this is like nothing I had expected...a _kitsune _of all things...so this is the true you, Naruto?"

Naruto gave a nervous chuckle at this before replying, "Ehhh...yes and no. You see, I can assume three forms: the one I have been showing you all this time was my near-human form, and the one I am least comfortable in, but am forced to use considering my surroundings. The next form is the one you see before you, called the hybrid form. Basically it is my true kitsune form, only bipedal and...much smaller...it is also the one I am most comfortable in, and considering the fact I was once human it is not surprising."

"Wait a second Naruto, what do you mean you were once human? How could you have had such a...drastic change?" Renamon asked this with genuine curiosity, not knowing the Pandora's box she was about to open.

Naruto sighed at this...this was what he wasn't looking forward to the most...but a promise was a promise. "The cause of this change coincides with what caused me to become such a...callous...individual. It would take hours upon hours of talking and explaining to tell you, so instead of doing such, I could instead actually implant the memories into your mind directly. Renamon...I ask you to think through your decision of whether you want to see these memories or not. I warn you now, they are not pretty...and some are downright horrifying; answer wisely."

As with his trust previously, Renamon made sure to think it through...even if it was a fairly quick process. She had vowed to herself to help make him happy in _whatever_ was she could, and knowing what he had been through would enable her to dramatically increase her effectiveness. Her decision made, Renamon looked into Naruto's eyes and stately solemnly, "I will view these memories, Naruto."

Naruto nodded wearily, his large ears drooping at the statement. _'I didn't want her to have to see this...damn my kitsune honor, I have no choice but to obey; my promise to her will let me do no less!' _"Then it shall be done...prepare yourself Rena-chan...it will not be a fun experience." Upon saying this, he focused a good amount of his youki into the tip of one of his tails, and with a heavy heart, placed its tip upon Renamon's forehead. Both instantly crumpled onto the furs below them, their consciousnesses having gone to the world of memories.

When Renamon came to, she sat up and was greeted to a shocking sight; four immense stone faces carved out of a mountainside, looking over what could only be described as a large village surrounded by immense trees. Where was she? The last thing she remembered was Naruto pressing one of his tails to her forehead.

"Welcome to my old life Rena-chan, and my hometown...Konoha." Naruto said this in a voice filled with conflicting emotions, startling Renamon as she swerved around and viewed him..._floating_ above the village, still in his hybrid form. "Come up and join me, won't you? This is a memory, and we are merely observers...we are in essence ghosts here, we can hear and see everything, but not interact, while the people in the memory itself are not aware of us...it is just a memory after all."

Nodding, Renamon simply thought of wanting to float up to where Naruto was and her body responded accordingly. Having a better view, she studied the village below her, noting how many people were jumping around from rooftop to rooftop with speeds approaching or past her own while seemingly normal people moved about below on the streets. As she was observing, she asked Naruto a question. "Why are you here as well Naruto? I thought you told me I was to view your memory?"

"What, you honestly thought I would let you view such things by yourself? I may not like having to relive them, but I will most certainly NOT let you view such things alone, I would not do such to an enemy, let alone a close friend." He smiled at her as he finshed, and she found herself mimicking his smile. However, his face soon grew serious, and he once more spoke up, a tone of foreboding in his words. "However...you want to know what caused my current personality and lead to my eventual species-change. And so I have brought you to the last night I was in this village...it was the worst event, and there is no need to torture you with five years worth of nightmares."

Renamon's eyes grew huge at his last statement. "Five years of what, Naruto? Just how old were you in this memory?"

Naruto grew very quiet before answering in nary a whisper, "You shall see...and I was five. Now, come...it will begin soon." With that he floated off towards a run-down looking part of the village, slightly reminiscent of where he slaughtered those gang members.

Renamon stumbled in midair, putting some of the pieces together. _'Whatever caused his callousness had been occurring for five whole years...and he was five when it ended, meaning...by the sovereigns...' _Preparing herself, she followed him.

When she caught up with Naruto, he was just floating there, gazing down at an alleyway as if waiting for something. As if summoned, Renamon saw a very small, very emaciated looking blonde-haired child dart around the corner with fear showing on every inch of his face. Upon closer inspection, she realized with a sense of foreboding that this child had three very familiar whisker marks on both sides of his cheeks. As both continued to look, a man stopped the child with a violent burst of wind before pinning the child. She watched, horrified as a mob of humans descended upon the young Naruto, first only insulting and cursing the child, but they quickly descended upon him, landing blows with every conceivable weapon she could think of.

However, upon seeing them douse the young Naruto in a liquid and lighting him on fire, she could not contain her horror. Tears streamed down her muzzle in twin rivers as she attempted a mix of gasping sobs and dry heaving as she bore witness to the young boy literally being cooked alive, yet unable to die; some unknown healing factor just barely keeping him alive and conscious as his nightmarish screams ripped into her soul like shards of razor ice. She felt and saw red furred arms wrap around her in a comforting hug, but it did little to alleviate her situation, her eyes wide open and glued to the scene before her.

After the horrific scene and the following massacre, Naruto quickly, but concisely showed her the following years of his life with a running commentary. He showed her his training, his meeting of with the kitsune clan, what he remembered of his transformation, and even showed her his incident with youki training right after as a means of breaking the mood. It worked, if only for a few minutes, but it was enough for Naruto. It was quick after that, the rest of his training and his fight with the leaf shinobi, then his days in her world before he first encountered her. After all this was shown, everything went black once more, the memory having done its job.

They both awoke to the familiar gentle-blue hue of Naruto's den and were silent for a while, both looking at the other. After a few more moments Renamon's composure broke once again, and with tears once more streaming down her muzzle, she engulfed Naruto in a hug, silently sobbing on his shoulder. Naruto for his part just returned the hug, understanding her need for comfort.

As Renamon cried, she couldn't help but go over what she saw. She wanted to understand the reasons behind Naruto's personality...and she now knew...oh, how she _knew_. How someone could endure such and still be sane was beyond her. His reasons for his hatred and mistrust towards humanity was now all too clear to her. She would be one of the first to admit that life in the Digital World is, for the most part, a vicious cycle of life and death. Digimon of all types, sizes and classes continuously fight and download their defeated opponents data, as she herself had done and to an extend still does. Those that did not want to fight quickly found themselves as yet another stepping stone for others...only those of considerable power could hope to settle down and live relatively peacefully. However, while it was a vicious cycle, it was for the most part not done for any malicious reasons...it was simply done to survive. What happened to Naruto was a completely foreign concept to Renamon...for while she saw many digimon that were cruel such as Myotismon...even they had limits. Even they had a line which they would not cross...if they had to kill young ones, they simply did it quickly and painlessly, guaranteeing a painless death to the child. What those...those _things_ did that night could only be called premeditated intent to torture a child.

After a few minutes she pulled away, her muzzle still streaked with tears and spoke up. "N-Naruto...I'm so sorry...I had no idea what you had gone through...if I had I would have never made you reliv-" She was silenced as Naruto lifted up one of his claws and gently placed it upon the tip of her muzzle, stopping her apology.

"Rena-chan, you must understand that you have nothing to be sorry for. While those memories are indeed my worst and...unpleasant to view, like you said you had no way of knowing, and I wasn't telling. Secondly, you must also understand that you did not do such things, therefore why should I blame you? Besides, I had been suppressing such memories for a while now and they needed to be affirmed once more...denial is not a wise route to take, and this has managed to make me see this, and for that I thank you." Naruto finished with a genuine smile upon his muzzle, and while there was still a bit of pain in his eyes, it had certainly diminished.

Renamon, relieved Naruto did not hold her at fault for the memory, smiled as well...Naruto's smiles, while somewhat rare even with just the two of them around, were quite infectuous. She spoke up once more, attempting to steer the conversation away from the unpleasant memory and to make sure she had understood the rest. "So let me see if I understand everything...its quite obvious why you have the personality you do, no need to go into detail there...you were trained by your father, who is...or was the leader of the Kitsune clan in your dimension. After you signed the Kitsune contract, you were considered Kyuubi's protegee by his people and were therefore crafted what you now wear and fight with. Very soon after, Kyuubi proposed to be your true father, and you accepted. By doing so, you yourself became a full-blooded kitsune with the ability to assume a close-human form, and you inherited your father's position as leader of the Kitsune clan. After this you trained for about five more years, did missions for many people eventually earning the name Genkeishitsu Kitsune, before running into some shinobi from your old village, one of which...warped you here...am I missing anything important?"

Naruto took on a thinking pose, making sure she knew everything important and found that indeed, she did. "Yes, you've covered all the major subjects, anything else you have questions about?"

Renamon thought for a second, and then realized something important. "Yes actually, for one you never showed me your father in your memories, and secondly, what does your 'true' form look like? Can I see it outside? I know its big, as you showed me the memory with the blue eight-tailed kitsune, but you could lay down and should be alright for a few moments in the park."

Naruto sighed, not really wanting to frighten Renamon any, but answered all the same. "The answer to both questions go hand in hand. For the first, if I showed you my father I would be essentially showing you my true form...and I plan on such an event being a surprise. To answer the second, you must grasp exactly what I am. As not just the leader of the Kitsune clan, the most powerful beast clan there is, but also the leader of the Tailed Beasts...one must be exceptionally...memorable. You assume that if an eight-tailed kitsune was as large as the one you saw, I must only be a little bigger. While it is a sound assumption it is quite false. I cannot show you my true form right now for one simple fact: if I were to take on my full Kitsune form at the moment...I would not only crush Shinjuku Park, but the surrounding buildings."

At this statement, Renamon did something she had never done, and will never do again if she had anything to say about it: she fainted. When she came to, the first thing she saw was Naruto's orbs peering down at her with amusement, causing her to blush heavily, both out of embarrassment and the position she found herself in; his lap. Quickly returning to her own pile of furs, she tried to wrap her mind around what he said. _'His true form would crush this entire park and the surrounding area? Such a thing is impossible, no creature can be that large...I have trusted him so far, and I still do, but I cannot truly believe such a thing until I see it with my own eyes.'_ "That...is a little hard to imagine, Naruto...while I trust you are telling the truth, I cannot truly believe that until I can see it myself."

Naruto gave an understanding nod; if he had not seen it himself, he would not have believed either. "Understandable Rena-chan, and I won't hold it against you. If the situation ever arises in which doing so would be both feasible and would retain my secret, I shall show you, but until then I will remain as you see me now or in my mostly human form when others are around. Any other questions you would like to ask?"

Renamon thought for a second, wondering if there was anything important she wanted to ask at the moment. Oh sure, there were plenty of little things she wanted to ask him about what they had went over today...but there had been enough questions for one day. So, Renamon shook her head in the negative, prompting Naruto to give a very fang-filled smirk as he stood up and offered her his hand, helping her up as well.

"Very well, now then Rena-chan, I have only four days left to train you and have you gain at least an intermediate level capacity of the Puppetmaster style. That being said, I believe I promised you a test before we began today's training. Tell me, if I wanted to incapacitate a person's leg mobility, where and how would I strike? There are many ways to do this, but only a few which are quick and efficient, answer carefully." He said this all with a gleam in his eyes, but he couldn't help it; she was his first pupil, and she was a damn prodigy! Now he understood what the gleam in Kyuubi's eye was whenever Naruto excelled at something; it was a sensei's pride.

**'And I continue being proud of you my son...you kept your promise to Renamon, regardless of the pain it brought back to you. You comforted her in her horror after the memory passed, something which takes a great deal of valor considering your own rampant emotions at the time. And finally you are training her as your protegee, as I had trained you. I will never stop being proud of you, Naruto.'**

Naruto couldn't help the single tear of happiness that streaked down his muzzle at this. _'I thank Kami above that I have my father...even though the price to gain him was steep, I would do it again in a hearbeat.' _'Thank you...and I could not have asked for a better father to raise me, I consider you my one and only true father. The Yondaime might have sired me, but that does not make him my father.' After feeling the contentment emanating from Kyuubi, he tuned back into the real world.

Renamon recognized that look in his eyes, and wanted to make sure she gave him even more reason to be proud of her. Recognizing his hidden challenge to name the best way of incapacitating, she smirked and formed her reply. "The most efficient and timely manner in which to incapacitate said person would be to..."

After their emotional rollercoaster that night, both quickly fell back into the routine of teaching and being taught, Renamon continuing to impress Naruto with her eagerness to learn...apparently actually having a sensei instead of teaching yourself was quite exciting...but he could understand, after all, he himself had done just as she had before he met Kyuubi. Other than that, Naruto would quickly dispatch any wild digimon signatures he detected before swiftly returning to continue teaching Renamon...after all, it wouldn't do to let the city be destroyed by a rampaging digimon.

As the week approached its end, signifying the time of Renamon's return to Rika, both Renamon and Naruto felt the squeeze. For Renamon, she was contemplating whether or not to finally make her move on Naruto...the past week had been amazing for her. Never before had anyone taken the time to actually train her, and the tenacity by which Naruto did both shocked and honored her. And she could honestly say it was beginning to pay off...while she had no doubt in her mind that Naruto would always remain superior in the field, she could now fight with more than just a freelance "spur-of-the-moment" style she had before. Now she knew where to strike and how hard to strike to take down opponents in which she would have spent far more energy than necessary to take down previously. It was one of the first lessons in their spars in fact; to rid Renamon of her dependency on her digimon attacks. While useful in certain situations, she did not have the massive reserves he did to be able to use such attacks so frequently and carelessly, as he demonstrated on her when sparring the first day. While she was sure that Rika would be quite surprised, she figured that she wouldn't care as long as it got the job done "to her expectations".

On top of his training her, he had treated her with a respect that once again, no other had before. He understood her limits while training her, and when he found them he did not berate her as Rika had done, but instead gave her tips on how to push and break those limits, then helped her do just that. When it was time for meals, while there was not much diversity, he always asked her what she wanted, yet again a new idea for her. When it was time to sleep, he gave up his bed of furs and insisted that she sleep upon them instead, and formed a makeshift bed on the other side of the room for himself, respecting her personal space. After that horrific memory, he lent a shoulder to cry on and helped her cope with what she had saw, when she knew damn well it shook his mental well-being just as much to view it once more. To top it all off, he was handsome, fair, inconceivably strong, and protected what was his with a ferocity that sent shivers down her spine. After reviewing all of this, she decided to take a chance and try it, for he had certainly impressed her.

Back with Naruto, he was going through somewhat similar but nevertheless different circumstances. He, as her sensei, was desperately trying to prepare her as best he could for when she implemented the style in a true combat situation. While he would readily admit that she absorbed the style like a sponge, he was still weary of her going back into combat after the last two near-death situations. Especially now with all these weird feeling floating around in his head. This bothered him almost more than her fighting once more, as the feelings were somewhat similar to those he felt toward his father...but yet they were at the same time completely different. While Naruto had gained a sharper mind and far greater combat skills after he met his father, what did not change much was his cluelessness towards romantic feelings aimed at another. Sure he recognized when he was physically attracted to someone, but he was quite new to feelings of non-platonic love. As the deadline drew closer and closer the strange feelings grew more urgent...it was beginning to bother him.

It was on the day before Renamon returned to Rika that she decided to make her move...it was now or never. She waited until they were done for the day...which was early afternoon; it was their last day of training after all...at least uninterrupted training, as Naruto had extended the offer to continue whenever they both had time, and she had accepted graciously. As they both sat down to rest before eating, Renamon was quite nervous but kept it hidden well...this was the very first time she had done such a thing after all. After staying up almost the entire night thinking on the matter, she was certain that the feeling she held for Naruto were indeed those of love. Deciding on what to say, she softly spoke up.

"Naruto...there's something I want to talk to you about, something I'm not really sure how to even express."

Upon hearing the nervousness in her voice and the uncertainty with which she spoke, Naruto snapped out of his own thoughts and gave her his undivided attention. "What is it Rena-chan? Whatever you're worried about, you know I'll help however I can; you're a friend, and a close one at that." He finished with a warm smile on his muzzle; he had not reverted back to human form since the day he explained everything, except to quickly fight off the occasional wild digimon.

She thought through her response carefully, not wanting to word it wrong and mess things up. "Tell me Naruto, before I continue...have you enjoyed this week we've been training? We've become good friends over the past months and especially this last week, what are your feelings on me going back tomorrow to Rika?" She watched as Naruto paused at this, apparently thinking hard about his response...she was glad he was taking this seriously.

As for Naruto, he carefully considered how he should respond. He would give her the unguarded truth, that much he knew for certain. However, if he expressed his illogical rising panic at the thought of her going back, he might distress her, and he didn't want that. Perhaps he should instead tell her of these odd feelings he'd been having, after all his father would only chuckle when he asked him...maybe her input would help out. "Well Rena-chan, I can honestly say this past week has been one of the best of my life...and being your sensei has been an amazing experience, you may not realize it but you're a prodigy, I don't think even I absorbed knowledge the rate at which you have."

Renamon beamed at this, when Naruto gave a compliment he meant it. But she decided to hold her tongue, as he was ready to continue his answer.

"As for my feeling on you going back to Rika? ...To be honest, those are quite complicated and confusing to me...I don't know what they are and its frustrating me greatly. The feelings are very similar to the way I feel about my father...yet at the same time they're completely different, and I just can't figure it out!" He ended his sentence with a frustrated growl, his claws gripping the sides of his head in frustrated confusion.

Meanwhile, Renamon was going over what exactly he described his feeling as. _'The feeling are very similar to those he feels towards his father. Well its obvious he loves him a great deal...but in a way a son would love a father. He also said that it was completely different at the same time...a son's love, yet different...a platonic love, yet different...but there's only one other kind of...!' _At this her heartbeat skyrocketed, the sheer chance of her theory being right sent her reeling. _'Could it be? I'm not surprised he doesn't recognize it, no one has ever told him of such before, and it would seem his father wanted him to find out on his own...but there's only one way to find out.' _

Gathering up all the courage she could muster, Renamon responded in a small voice. "Naruto...are these feelings you just described...directed at me?" At Naruto's slow nod, she continued, "I think I know what the feelings are that you have towards me Naruto...but I'm not sure how you'll take the answer...Naruto, the feelings you have just described to me sound exactly like love; and not the platonic kind." There, now she just had to see his reaction to this information.

Naruto felt his mind come to a jarring halt at Renamon's last sentence reached his ears. Then, just as fast it jump-started, feverishly connecting the pieces to the puzzle that was his feelings. _'Love? Is that what I am feeling? I've never experienced this before, but what she said makes sense...' _Glancing at Renamon, he felt the feeling intensify in his chest and looked away quickly. _'Well damn...that proves it. …..And now she knows I love her! SHIT! I don't want this to ruin our friendship! I may love her, but I'll be damned if I lose her friendship trying to gain her love!'_

After a tense five minutes in which Renamon waited for Naruto and Naruto thought, he finally spoke up. "I...I think you're right Rena-chan, I do love you. But don't worry! I won't let this affect our friendship, everything can stil-" He was abruptly cut off mid-sentence as Renamon laid one of her claws upon the tip of his muzzle as he had done to her days ago, but the look in her eyes was most certainly not there before!

"Shhh...you don't have to explain Naruto-kun." His eyes widened comically at this. "You see, the reason I had even asked in the first place was to ascertain your feelings before telling you of my own. You are not the only one to have had strange feelings this past week Naruto-kun, I too have had them, but unlike you I was able to identify them beforehand. Naruto...I love you as well, and if you'd like it I want to try having a relationship with you." If his eyes were wide before, they were now doing a fine job of imitating blue dinner plates.

"A-A relationship? As in becoming a couple? ….I'd love to! I mean, we'll take things slowly, I don't want to rush you into anything after all, and I'm not sure if we should inform your partner of it just yet, but if you want to we can after all you'd be a part of this relationsh-" He was cut off mid-rant as he felt something make contact with the front of his muzzle. As he came out of rant-mode, his eyes focused on what did such and he abruptly froze. There, in front of him with eyes closed and a serene expression upon her muzzle, was Renamon; her own muzzle touching his in the closest thing to a kiss she could manage. For a few moments he simply remained as stiff as a board...that lasted until Renamon got impatient at his deer-in-headlights personification and gave him an impatient flick with her tail.

He snapped out of his daze and decided to return her gesture with gusto, wrapping his tails gently behind her back and pulling her body to his, while he took his claws and gently held her head with them, deepening the kiss.

Meanwhile, Renamon was in bliss. _'He loves me too! He said yes! And for his first kiss he's doing pretty damned good! Of course its my first as well, but it's woman's intuition!' _(I do believe in such a thing even though I'm a guy...I've seen this mythical phenomenon occur too many times to dismiss it! Plus, after enough life experience...a guy just eventually knows not to question some things, and this is one of those things) After a few seconds of reveling in the feeling of his tails wrapped around her body and his body pressed against hers, she took it a step further, her tongue probing the front of his muzzle, silently asking for entry. It took a few seconds, but Naruto finally got it and opened his jaw a little, letting her tongue dart in and proceed to wrestle with his own. Both were careful to avoid the sharp fangs, but this did not stop them from becoming more engaged in their activities. It was not long before both found themselves on the floor, their claws running exploration missions over the other's body whilst they themselves attempted to each the other's muzzle.

Their impromptu make-out session lasted a good hour before the two finally calmed down. After that they spent the next few hours cuddling on a pile of furs in the entry-room, just basking in their new-found love. Eventually they both got hungry and decided to eat, feasting on a deer in a manner any other carnivore would. When the time to sleep rolled around, Renamon refused to let Naruto sleep on his little makeshift bed, instead dragging him to his real bed. Halfway there Naruto recognized an effort in futility and stopped struggling, got on all fours and padded towards his bed of furs. Renamon quickly followed, glad he had given in. Upon entering his little alcove, he waited for Renamon to get comfortable, curling up in a ball with her nose next to her tail, and he proceeded to curl around her, his body conforming to hers perfectly as he finally lay his head gently atop her own, his nine tails both mixing with her one and blanketing her form. While both were a mass of hormones and emotion, they still had enough state-of-mind to realize that taking it any further was not an option until they solidified their relationship more and were absolutely sure of their feeling towards each-other. As they slowly drifted off to sleep, both had serene smiles upon their muzzles, truly feeling at peace and whole for the first time.

Meanwhile, a certain father fox had a smile upon his face that would have made the Cheshire Cat

envious as he viewed the touching scene. _**'That's my boy!Ha, I knew he would find a good mate one day, but he found the jackpot in this one! -sniff- He's made me so proud, and now my boy's growing up! Before you know it he'll be mated and have little kits running around, and I'll be a grandfather! Who would have thought, me; the great and fearsome Kyuubi-no-kitsune a grandfather, its almost comical...but I'm not complaining. Sleep well son...you deserve it.'**_ With that he trailed off and drifted into the realm of Morpheus, dreaming of tiny little yellow-orange fur-balls running around him.

As Naruto slowly drifted awake from his slumber, he felt more comfortable than he ever had in his life. The furs were warm, the body pressed against his own was...body pressed against his own? Naruto snapped his eyes open, but thankfully before he could panic he remembered what happened last night and calmed down, a serene smile on his muzzle as he settled his head back down on Renamon's gently, trying his best not to disturb Renamon's slumber. He knew they had to return her today, but he wanted her to wake up on her own...and he greatly enjoyed the feelings which shot through him at the thought of them together.

_'It almost seems surreal...here I thought I never have such a relationship, and now I find myself curled around the most beautiful vixen I've ever, and will ever lay eyes on.' _His thoughts, complete, he prepared to wait her out.

It was a good hour before the steady breathing of Renamon increased in pace and lost its pattern, signifying that she was waking. Ever so gently, Naruto lifted his head from her own and nuzzled the side of her head gently, saying in a soft voice, "Good morning, Rena-chan."

As for Renamon, she had the most comfortable sleep yet...the bed of furs was most certainly comfortable, but the presence of Naruto made it unbelievable. She couldn't help the pleased smile that stretched across her muzzle at his greeting, both verbally and physically. "Mmmm...good morning to you as well, Naruto-kun."

At this both slowly unwound and crawled out of the alcove, stretching on all fours before getting up and going through the morning routine. After they both ate, they went to the water-room, where they bathed in the pool that had filled up 5 days into the week; if it overflowed Naruto simply evaporated it. Upon finishing their washing, Naruto dried both of them off by using a powered down Fuuton: Daitoppa (Great Breakthrough), which turned them both into seven-foot fluff-balls for a good half hour, much to their amusement. After this they quieted down some as they returned to Naruto's room.

As Naruto put on his equipment after changing back into 'human' form, Renamon decided to break the silence. "So...the time has come, hasn't it? How exactly are we going to do this?"

Naruto paused mid-way through putting on his left gauntlet before giving his answer. "Well, for one I am going to come as well; and will be the one to initially confront her." Seeing Renamon about to protest, he continued quickly. "Before you protest hear me out. My intentions are not bad, I simply want to make sure the lesson has been learned. If it has not, I will attempt to teach it as best I am able. Regardless, when I give the signal come down and join us. From there we will just go with the flow of things. Does this sound agreeable?"

While Renamon wasn't too comfortable with the thought of Naruto 'confronting' Rika given his animosity towards humans, she knew he would hold himself back, if only for the sole reason that she cared about Rika. So, she nodded her consent, and both started heading towards the Nonaka household.

Upon arriving on a building overlooking the household, Naruto motioned for Renamon to stay there and await his signal. After this he activated a camouflage jutsu and jumped down onto the street next to it before silently jumping once more onto the roof, where he proceeded to let out his youki to see where the people were inside. He sensed two people inside the household itself in the bedrooms, while one was surprisingly out in the backyard. Because of his training Naruto always woke early, and the same had been drilled into Renamon as well of the past week, because of this it was still very early, the sun's rays just beginning to show on the horizon.

Curious, he silently moved towards the person, wanting to see just who was up at this unusual hour. Upon seeing who it was he was slightly surprised at seeing it was his target. Her back was turned to him, and her head tilted slightly up supposedly looking at the moon. His hopes were lifted at noticing she did not hold her body posture with the same self-assured air he had observed prior...perhaps the message got through after all. After navigating to see her face, he was once more disappointed and angry to see her face not sad or contemplating, but with a frown upon her features and her eyes showing anger. He sighed silently to himself...it would seem he had to do things the hard way. Upon deciding how to approach her, he silently jumped into the tree residing in the back yard and positioned himself the deep shadows it cast on the yard next to its trunk. With this he began his 'confrontation'.

Rika gazed up at the moon for the fifth time this past week, just going over what had happened during the last fight. Time and time again she denied what she had seen, that Renamon did not get deleted...but she saw the attack hit her dead on, and nothing remained afterward. Her frown increased at the thought of defeat..._'Then again...that Devimon was deleted as well, at least Renamon managed to make it a tie.' _Still, this did not reassure her at all...how was she supposed to show everyone she was the Digimon Queen if she didn't have a digimon? Lost in her thoughts, she was quite startled when a voice drifted from the direction of the tree in the backyard.

"Child, what has caused you to be so angry, and at this hour no less?"

Rika whipped around in the direction of the voice, staring in the general vicinity of the tree and snapped back. "Who are you! What are you doing in my backyard?" _'Someone has been spying on me? How dare they, they have no right!'_

The voice answered back, this time in a chilly tone that sent instinctual warning signs blaring in her head. "Calm yourself child, I was merely inquiring as to the reasons behind your anger. There is no need to hurl accusations."

This did nothing to alleviate Rika's anger. "Why should I tell you! Not only do you have no business knowing, but you're a complete stranger!" After this statement silenced reigned for a moment and Rika smirked, thinking she had shut up the stranger. However, when he spoke next his words make her freeze in shock.

"It wouldn't happen to have anything to do with a certain fox, now would it?"

There was no mistaking the humor in his tone, and this caused her to grow even more furious. "How do you know about that? Were you there when it happened? I demand that you answer me!" Her tone held no room for argument, she was beyond livid that this man was mocking her, the Digmon Queen!

His voice once more broke through her thoughts with a chilly monotone voice. "You are in no position to demand such of me child, and I warn you that continued demands will _not_ be appreciated. However, the information you desire I was going to tell you anyways. To answer your questions, yes I was there when you lost your partner, and as for who I am...I am one who has been...or had been observing you and your partner approximately the past four months."

This information threw Rika for a loop...someone had been spying on them for _four months_ and Renamon hadn't sensed them? And he was there the night Renamon was deleted? "Why have you been following me for the past four months? And just _how _have you followed me without Renamon detecting you? And exactly why do you hide in the shadows, are you too scared to face the Digimon Queen?" She ended with a smirk on her face, thinking she had shut the man up.

At hearing her last barb, a disturbingly...confident chuckle met her ears. "Scared of you, child? While an amusing thought, you couldn't not be farther away from the truth. But that is besides the point, I have been following _your partner_ for reasons that are my own. As for how I have been following..." Here he let out another chuckle before stepping out of the shadows; the still-risen moon gleaming off of his intimidating armored visage. "Well...it is quite the trifle achievement for one such as myself, Rika Nonaka."

As Naruto stepped out of the shadows and revealed himself, Rika took a step back in fear, eyes wide with fright. While she prided herself on her cold attitude and calm in dangerous situations, the being in front of her struck fear into her heart. His spiky gleaming armor accentuated the various ways with which he could kill her, from the spikes jutting out of damn near every inch of it, to the clawed gauntlets and oddly fox-like boots. What was the most frightening however was his head. The helm was a cruel looking thing, and the black fabric that surrounded everything else made it seem as if the helm floated upon a void. And the eyes...they somehow _glowed_ and ice blue faintly from within the helm, and were, much to her horror, _slitted_.

However, it was this last fact which enabled Rika to regain some of her courage. She knew damn well that no human had slitted eyes, and that left one other option; one which made the things he said make sense. She spoke up, her voice filled with anger once more at being deceived in such a way. "What do you want digimon? Come to gloat over my draw with that Devimon? Or maybe now that Renamon has been deleted, you want to become the Digimon Queen's new partner?" She finished off with a smirk, thinking he might have done all this to impress her. She admitted silently that it wasn't bad, and his appearance would certainly increase her reputation. She was shocked once more when instead of answering immediately, the digimon broke out in laughter, nearly doubling over from the amount.

While he was angered at the haste by which she sought another partner, Naruto could not help but laugh at the thought that she not only thought he was a digimon, but that he wanted to be her partner! After a few more seconds of laughter, Naruto calmed down and responded. "First thing you should know child is that I am no digimon, and most certainly do not want you as a 'partner'. Secondly, I have not come here to gloat over your draw with the Devimon, I have come to ask you some questions. But before that, I have to know; why do you call yourself the "Digimon Queen"?

While she did not believe that this being in front of her was not a digimon and was curious as to what he wanted to know, she was glad to first answer his last question. "I am the Digimon Queen because I am the best Digimon TCG player in the world, the title gained by defeating the best players around at a tournament. Now if you aren't here to be my partner, then why are you here? What questions do you want to ask?"

Naruto blinked as he processed what she just told him, before responding in a deadpan voice laced heavily with disbelief, "So...you are named the "Digimon Queen" because you won a "Digimon TCG" tournament? You claim the title of ruler over all Digimon...because you won a card game?"

Rika's face turned red in both embarrassment and anger at his answer. "S-Shut up! I _am_ the best there is when it comes to digimon battles, and besides you never answered my other questions!"

Naruto got serious at this...the time for amusement was over, it was time to get some answers. "Very well child, the reason I have come tonight is to ask you a few personal questions. First of which is this: why do you appear angry over your partner's death? Most would feel remorse over the loss, and yet all I can see is your anger over the situation."

Rika's face once more turned angry before responding heatedly, "Don't play games with me, digimon! I know that digimon are nothing but data, stop trying to act as if you were actually alive and have feelings! Why should I be sad over some lost data?"

_'So that's what she thinks, huh? Time to make her see the light, but not before setting something straight.' _"Before I answer, once more I remind you that I am not a digimon. If you need further proof, use that device of yours, I've seen you use it before to identify digimon." He waited until she did just that, her eyes going wide when the scan indicated he was not digital at all. Before she could ask anything he continued. "Now that we have that cleared up, let me ask you something, Rika Nonaka. If digimon are as you say and are just data, then why, exactly, did Renamon shed silent tears when you weren't looking every time you said as much around her? Think carefully before you respond child...if you could not see her do such things and she was unaware of my presence, then _why _would she have such a face of sorrow and shed tears of grief? There would be absolutely no point...the only other option would be that she _was_ indeed alive, and had feeling just as any human does."

His words made Rika take a step back before ungracefully falling onto her rear. She went over what he had told her, her mind working on overdrive. _'He said Renamon cried. Renamon...shed tears whenever I said digimon had no feelings? Why would she do that, what purpose would it serve if she hid it from me? The only other possible reason would be...' _Her eyes widened as tears appeared at the corners of them, her mind going over how she had treated Renamon...the meager meals, making her find her own place to sleep, the constant expectations, her callous words, thinking all the while she was just talking to some mindless machine. The possibility that Renamon actually was alive and had feelings made her shudder in remorse.

She looked up into the unwavering gaze of Naruto and responded in barely a whisper, "B-But that would mean that Renamon was alive this whole time...that she..." she trailed off, desperately trying to deny it, but Naruto would have none of that, this lesson needed to be learned.

"That's right, Rika Nonaka. This whole time, Renamon was alive and had feelings; feelings which you crushed every time you denied them. Every scathing word, every cold demand, every time you never cared hurt her in ways you may never know. And now she is _dead_, child; and she went thinking you thought nothing of her death...yet she still sacrificed her own life for you...because unlike you, Rika Nonaka...she cared for you deeply." As he finished, he pushed down the small amount of guild at his deception. While his words may have been brutal, harsh and cruel, he was testing her. He was giving her a chance to redeem herself in not only his eyes but in Renamon's...her next reaction would give him his answers.

At his harsh words, the mental dam which had formed from her own mother's inattentive and seemingly uncaring attitude towards her during her youth (before she built her cold exterior) cracked, and then shattered all at once with a mind-wracking intensity. To think that she had been acting just like her mother...no..._worse_ towards another being with feelings, especially one that saved her life on many occasions was too much for her. Horrified beyond words, she collapsed onto the ground; tears streaming down her face and gasping sobs coming from her mouth as she curled into a ball and expressed her agony in the only way she could now.

As Naruto observed her reaction and her genuine horror and sorrow at realizing just what she had done, his eyes lost their cruel gleamed and gained a softer hue. 'It would appear you are right father...not all humans are like the ones I have encountered. Don't think that I'll lose my animosity towards them, and I will never trust them as a whole...but I will at least give those whom deserve it a chance to prove themselves.'

Inside Naruto, Kyuubi smiled proudly at his son. **'That is all I ask for son, I would not ask more of you. Now that she has proven herself, why don't you go and help her? She is in a very critical ****emotional state right now...not doing anything could be disastrous.'**

Naruto sighed quietly but acknowledged that his father was right...something needed to be done. And so, for the first time in his life Naruto decided to show kindness towards a human...but she had proven her worth. He quietly moved over to her, sat down on a root of the tree and picked her small frame up before setting Rika in his lap. At first he did nothing, but upon seeing nothing changing he slowly and gently ran his claws carefully through her hair, which had come undone when she fell, all the while whispering soothing words into her ear.

Rika didn't even notice when he picked her up and set her in his lap, so distraught was she. It was only after a few minutes of his gentle digits running through her hair and his soft words that she began to calm down and take note of her surroundings. When she did, she tried to get out of his lap and he let her, not wanting to panic the girl. She was confused at his seemingly bipolar actions: one minute he was verbally tearing her to pieces, and the next he was whispering soothing words in her ears and comforting her?

Seeing her apparent confusion Naruto spoke up; the menace gone from his voice and into a voice that, while still having a monotonous tone to it, carried along a hint of warmth. "I see you are confused at my actions, so let me explain them. You see child, what just happened was a test. That does not mean that what I have told you was false, everything I had said was true except for one thing, and that needed to be false in order to properly test you. I came here tonight to see whether or not you were conscious of the way you had been acting towards Renamon. I now see you simply did not realize that she was a living being...after observing the way people use machines here I suppose I can understand to some extent...but make sure to not repeat this mistake, Rika Nonaka. After seeing your genuine grief upon understanding and realizing the consequences of your actions, I deem you worthy of your position of tamer, and it will now be returned to you."

At this Rika looked confused, saying, "What do you mean? You aren't a digimon so you can't be my partner."

Naruto smiled behind his mask before responding. "It all has to do with the one fact I had to falsify. You shall see in a second." With that he glanced over his shoulder at a building across the street and raised his left arm, and something vaulted from the top of the building before landing next to Naruto. When it stopped, Rika was greeted by the all to familiar appearance of Renamon, who was giving her a warm smile; she had heard everything that was said.

All was quiet for a moment, before Rika launched herself at Renamon and tackled her midsection in a hug, her face buried in Renamon's chest fur as she cried apology after apology to Renamon.

For Renamon, she had a hard time staying put as she both saw and heard Naruto verbally rip Rika apart under the assumption that she was dead. At first she thought he did not keep his word, but those thoughts were quickly negated as she saw Naruto show surprising gentleness with his actions next, picking her up and soothing her. After he explained himself, she admitted it was a very good test, and it lifted a great burden off her own shoulders knowing that Rika did not harbor any animosity towards her; she just thought she was a mindless machine, and Naruto quickly corrected her of such assumptions. She returned Rika's hug gently and smiled at Naruto, silently laying a kiss upon his lips as she whispered to him quietly, "Thank you Naruto-kun...you have no idea how much this means to me."

Naruto smiled at that before returning the kiss and whispering back, "Perhaps not...but your face and voice tell me all I need to know...you are most welcome Rena-chan." At this he pulled back, letting both Renamon and Rika have their moment. He walked back over to the tree and rested against it, waiting for the two of them to finish.

It was five minutes until both broke apart one more, and Rika needed some things clarified. "But...but how? I _saw_ you get deleted with my own eyes! How is it that you are still alive?"

Surprisingly, it was not Naruto who answered but Renamon. "You can thank Naruto here for that, he is the one who saved me and deleted that Devimon. What you saw got hit was one of Naruto's special techniques." At this Rika's eyes grew wide once more before looking over to where Naruto rested against the trunk of the tree, the sun's rays now just barely making out his form.

Naruto just stepped away from the tree and walked halfway to them before stopping. His eyes showed great amusement as he created a shadow-clone right next to him before he henged it into an exact replica of Renamon. After a few seconds he dispelled it with a puff of smoke.

Rika for her part was openly gawking at what she just saw. The man was not a digimon, but he was also not a human. And that technique! How in the world did he make a clone of himself and them make it into a copy of Renamon, and then have it disappear? "Thank you for saving Renamon sir...but just what exactly are you? My d-power said you had no digital energy, but your slitted eyes make you not human either."

A chuckle was her only response for a second before Naruto answered her. "That is a secret I'm afraid child, but perhaps one day you shall know it. Now before you even ask, Renamon has been housed in my home for the past week, and I have been giving her personal training. While she had come leaps and bounds in what I have taught her she still has a long ways to go before she can call herself a master of the style I have been teaching her. That being said, both Renamon and I would like to ask your permission for her continued lessons under my tutelage. I assure you this will not bring danger to this place, as any wild digimon that have come through the past week I have dealt with quickly before resuming the training.

Rika couldn't keep quiet at this remark. "Hold up a second! You're saying that _you_ are the one who has been defeating the wild digimon the past week?" Her incredulous gaze told everyone there just how much she believed what he had told her.

Naruto shrugged his shoulders slightly before answering. "That is indeed what I am saying, Renamon can verify my claims, but whether you believe it or not matters little to me, I was simply stating a fact. Besides, you will see soon enough, for I plan to continue my rendezvous with you and Renamon. Should she need help during a fight, then you shall see. Now then, your family will be up soon and I do not wish to alarm them. That being said, I bid you farewell for now, Rika-san." Turning to Renamon, his mouth stretched into a warm smile behind his mask. "And I will be seeing you as well, both during battle and training, Rena-chan."

Renamon smiled back just as warmly to Naruto before giving her farewell too. "Then I will look forward to our meetings, but for now goodbye as well, Naruto-kun." Both she and Naruto were both purposely ignoring the disbelieving looks they were getting from Rika at their familiarity.

With that Naruto a bow before backing up into the trunk of the tree, which he entered as if it was water, the tree seeming to ripple a bit before becoming still once more. Rika could only gape even wider, while Renamon just muttered a soft "Showoff." under her breath, but her whisper held a great deal of amusement in it.

The next week went by in a blur for Naruto and Renamon, as they met and trained every night with Renamon sleeping at his den most of the time. She could detect when Rika needed her or was in trouble, and with Naruto's techniques she could be at her side instantly. For Rika, Naruto's claims were quickly proven in the battles they had that week against the wild digimon. She couldn't even track his speed when he decided to move, and what made it even more disturbing was that according to Renamon he was holding back. She also quickly found out his sword was most certainly not for show...he had no qualms about dicing up a wild digimon if the need arose, which it did for a poor BlackGreymon. However, after she had gotten used to surprises from Naruto, the week quickly passed for her as well.

However, the Monday night after this week would prove to be the catalyst for a dramatic change in routine, and the start of a destiny that none of them would have ever seen coming.

Naruto and Renamon were training in Naruto's den said Monday night when Renamon paused in her katas. Curious but knowing she had a reason, Naruto just patiently waited for her to finish. After a few more seconds she looked up and answered his silent question.

"It seems we have another wild one, but according to Rika its signature is odd, she wants to check it out."

Naruto hummed in thought for a second before replying. "I thought I had felt an odd signature today...well grab on, might as well get going." Renamon did just that and the both disappeared in a flash of flame.

Upon arriving in an alley adjacent to Rika's house, Renamon caught up to Rika and stayed in the shadows following her, while Naruto did as well with his camouflage jutsu. After a few minutes of following Rika, Naruto pinpointed where the signal was coming from, and so informed Renamon he was going on ahead to scout it out. As she nodded he pumped youki into his legs and literally launched past the both of them and across the rooftops before disappearing altogether.

When Naruto arrived, he found the signal originated from a parking garage. _'Odd place for a wild one to be, they usually prefer out in the open.'_ Walking along the ceiling into the garage, he was quite surprised to find a familiar overgrown lizard stalking around sniffing everything he could. Not long after, he heard, and then saw Takato come darting around the corner yelling for Guilmon to wait up.

'_Well.'_ Naruto thought to himself. _'My night just got a bit more interesting...the upcoming confrontation should be quite amusing.'_ At the thought of the two polar-opposite children and digimon meeting eachother, Naruto let out a quiet chuckle and sat down on the ceiling, looking forward to the upcoming meeting.

**Ending Notes: **And there you have it! My longer Memorial Day weekend chapter is done...if a day late...but hey, it was a lot of words! Anyways, the real plot of the story takes off next chapter with the tamers finally meeting each other and the ever-so-mysterious Naruto. As you can see I tried a different type of writing format on this one. Right after submitting this I will put up a poll on my page which lets you choose if you like this style better or the one I used in the previous chapters. Please do take the time to vote on it so I can get an accurate idea of what my readers want most. Now with that done, on to review responses!

**Kyuubi's Vixen: -laughs- Don't worry, little Pablo is indeed fictional, no animals were harmed in the making of this story. And since you asked so nicely...here's the next chapter! :D**

**Hakkyou no Yami: Don't worry, she learned her lesson alright...as for the Sakuyamon interaction...as this last chapter shows, if anything Naruto will eventually view Rika as a little sister, therefore any...intimate actions with Sakuyamon would be quite disturbing for everyone involved, sorry. :(**

**Dark Raven 19: Thanks for the compliments! As for any more Naruto world people coming, I do not plan on it, at least not in this story.**

**cmcwiki: Thanks for the support...and people are all torn up over Pablo! XD**

**Bahumat knight: Thank you for the support once again! And nope, Naruto will not be a tamer, nor will he gain any digimon like abilities...he's already the nine tailed fox, he doesn't need anymore power lol!**

**deadw8: Thank you for the offer of letting me use your ideas/characters, but I must respectfully decline. I try to be as original as possible, so I'm going to stick to my human/hybrid/full kitsune setup, no spirit fox digimon. But thank you for offering! :)**

**Raizen Lord of Twilight: Aye, I agree with you there; not long after I said that I was considering it I realized just how wrong it would be considering he will see her as a little sister. And thank you for the compliment!**

**Hades45: Thanks!...twice! ^^**

**aquamewblast: Thanks for the comp! And he's not really a hanyou, the second chapter set that straight, for this story Kyuubi was not a demon, he was a Beast Lord, and a part of the beast races.**

**Salamander Hanzo: Awwww shucks!**

**Sefirot: Thanks, and here's the chapter!**

**Nulled Lucied: -laughs- Thanks for your enthusiasm! And yes, I agree that relationships which are quick to be formed tend to crumble just as quick. As for the torture, I had a hard time writing that...or anything to do with the brow beasts. As for dodging the thermite...well if I let it hit me I most likely wouldn't be able to use my hands, and therefore write...that would suck! :D**

**Exorcismus: Thank you for the compliment, and I will strive to continue updating at least once a week.**

**Scrotie' McFagballs: Aye, you're the first to mention this but not the last. That being said, your complaints have been heard, and I have responded! Behold the might of the slightly-more-spaced-than-before format! -strikes a pose- ….ahem, anyways, there ya go!**

**Ensoa: Sorry bud, but she does stay with Rika as her tamer. _However_, Rika improves her attitude towards digimon quite a bit this chapter. She will still be nearly identical in public, but she will now treat Renamon with the respect she is due. And no worries, Naruto is not paired with Rika, just Renamon.**

**Dark kitsune king: Heh, it seems you had the same idea I had!**

**Gallantmon228: Aye, I agree with you there. And she will get a good bit stronger over time, her training will indeed pay off, and in ways people will probably not expect. Now as for the techniques Naruto will use in his fights, If you want I will start posting descriptions of the techniques that he uses during the chapter at the end of it.**

**Magician Girl Mirani: Aye, I agree with you on the relationship part. However, while he is wary of anyone new he meets, it is mainly humans to which he focuses his mistrust. They were the only ones to betray and torture him, therefore he judges them harsher. As for the armor idea...that's...not a bad idea! If I decide to implement it into the story, you will get full credit for the idea, thanks! Yes, I most certainly agree, those suits can make the most hardened of beings cry out in horror! As for seeing his hybrid form...there ya go! You had pretty similar thoughts to mine on the whole cuddle part! Oh, and I must say this...I've got a Scottish fan! That's freaking awesome! And apparently one with a firecracker personality...sweet! Yes I read your profile, I figure its only fair since you put your time into reading my story, the least I can do is read your profile! Now that I mention it...you have three stories I have not read yet...seems I need to get on that! Thanks again for the review!**

**Forward-Always forward: Heh, I don't mind your questions, people often have very valid points. Now then, the main reason he was caught was this: a mixture of underestimation and the fact he was preoccupied with the other shinobi all attacking him. Remember, Naruto may have been freakishly powerful, but he made the mistake of underestimating his opponents...his lesson has been learned.**

**Xutzy: Thanks, I'm glad you've been enjoying it! :D**

**Asa: Ummm...I'll be blunt with ya here...that'd be kind of hard to mesh with the story.**


	5. Confrontations, lessons, and revelations

**Alright, here's chapter 5 of A Fox Among Tamers! Sorry if its a little later than I usually upload, but I've had one hell of a week, and my Memorial Weekend extra upload pushed me back a bit...but here it is! In this one the tamers finally meet each-other and the enigmatic Naruto, though for you to find out just how the meetings go...you must read on! Anyways, thank you all for your continued support of my very first story...it does mean a lot to me to read what you think about it. Also, the poll will only remain up for a few days more before I take it off...but really at this point its only remaining up because I said it would...the people have spoken, and unless there is a massive change within the next day or so, I will be very soon rewriting chapters 1-3 to fit the new format: the people have spoken! Lastly, to those of you whom may be interested, I am working on the first chapter of a new story, a plot-bunny which attacked me quite fiercely last week...but do not worry, I will promise you two things right now: 1: This new story WILL NOT affect the frequency with which I write this stories' chapters. 2: I finish all my stories, I have been quite saddened many a time because of a great story being discontinued, and it would be hypocritical for me to do the same. Now this rant is done, and chapter 5 begins!**

"**You want me to talk into what?**" – Kyuubi speaking, jutsus/digimon attacks

"Get that thing out of my face!" – Normal speaking

'_What the hell was that thing?_' – Thoughts/thinking

'Hello?' **'Hello?'** – Thought-speak

^the line just above this denotes a scene change.^

**Disclaimer : I do not own anything belonging to Naruto or Digimon. However, I DO own this story.**

**-Confrontations, lessons, and revelations-**

It was only a little more than a minute before Rika and Renamon arrived, though one was hidden as she took in the scene. Each had their own thoughts about the situation in front of them, and each reacted differently.

For Rika, her eyes immediately fell upon the red lizard digimon and instinctively reached for her card deck, her battle orders read on her lips. However just as quickly she realized what she was about to do and held herself back. _'Remember what Naruto said before; digimon are alive as well, and this one does not appear to be wild...in fact it seems the lizard has a...tamer.' _She could not help the look of incredulity that spread across her face as she beheld the sight and heard the conversation; the lizard had the voice and vocabulary of a toddler, while the kid had enormous goggled on his head and seemed...very lacking attention-span wise.

For Renamon, her reactions were somewhat similar but she managed to keep her face blank. As she observed the apparent tamer and his digimon interact from behind a pillar, it quickly became clear to her that they were very new to this...or she dearly hoped so. The lizard in particular was a complete polar-opposite to her in every way. Where she was cautious and alert, he was curious and completely disregarded his surroundings; she held herself with dignity and spoke with mannerisms that hinted to a sharp mind, while he held himself in a way only a child could, and his voice when he spoke hinted that he had the mind of one as well. Her observations of the boy did not dredge up any better results...he had the same qualities, only he spoke in a slightly more educated manner. As the idea that these two were tamer and digimon partner passed her mind, she could not help but to mutter under her breath, "These two are supposed to take down wild digimon? Unlikely."

"It seems you have come to the same conclusion as I have, Rena-chan."

The voice was literally right behind her, causing her to whip around in surprise while her training kicked in and she assumed a defensive stance of the Puppetmaster. However what met her was an upside-down kiss to her nose from Naruto who was still sitting on the ceiling, now gazing at her with _very_ amused eyes.

"Damn it Naruto-kun! You know how much I hate it when you sneak up on me like that...but yes, I'm not surprised you think the same of them." This was said in a whisper but was easily heard by Naruto, who allowed himself to be plucked off the ceiling and found himself wrapped in an embrace by Renamon from behind as they continued to observe. Of course, with his armor on she had to be careful, and certainly could not rest her head on his helmet of spikes...but she didn't mind.

Apparently while Renamon and Naruto were content to merely observe, Rika was not. After her initial observations her face took on a look of annoyance as she marched over to where the two were still happily chattering away about something. Once she was well withing hearing distance, she decided to announce her presence.

"Here I was hoping to find a wild digimon to fight, and instead I find a gogglehead and a lizard?"

This quickly shut both of them up as they finally became aware of their surroundings and that indeed, there was a red-headed girl talking to them. However Takato's reaction was surprising upon seeing her.

"Hey! I remember you from my dream, you have a digimon too right? I saw a yellow fox with you while you were fighting an Apemon months ago!"

This of course surprised not only Rika but Renamon and Naruto as well. Both were not aware of his presence on that night. For Naruto this meant simply that the boy was not there...at least physically, for the child had no training whatsoever that could have enabled him to mask his signature.

'Interesting...that means it has to be some form of an out-of-body experience...maybe even some isolated incident of astral-projection...father, any thoughts?'

**'Hmmm...it cannot be sheer coincidence that this boy saw Rika and Renamon the very same night you approached them the first time yourself...something is at work, this is no mere coincidence.'**

'Agreed, but I suppose that whomever or whatever orchestrated such a thing will only reveal itself when the time is right. For now, we should keep our observations to ourselves...though from the way Rena-chan just stiffened, it would seem she has picked up on the timely circumstances as well.'

"Rena-chan, so you realize that this boy's vision was no mere coincidence as well...let us keep this quiet for now, no need to alarm Rika or the boy." After a few seconds of contemplation she gave her agreement.

Back with Rika, she was not as quiet in her opinions. "How did you see that? Were you spying on me, googlehead?"

Seeing her anger rising, Takato frantically waved his arms in front of himself as if to ward off an incoming attack. "No no! I told you it was a dream! I had it the night before I found Guilmon!"

His last statement managed to ward off her hostility, only to bring open astonishment to her face. "Wait...you're telling me you've had Guilmon with you for over four months now? Just what exactly have you been doing?"

Her words caused Takato to scratch his head and give off a nervous chuckle. "Ah...well really we've just played around at Guilmon's shed and talked..." He trailed off and looked to the side, still chuckling nervously.

Rika for her part could only give off a groan of frustration...they've been partners for _four months_ and haven't done anything...ugh, she could tell they would annoy her already. Well, she sure as hell was getting something out of this; she did not come all this way just to be annoyed.

"Ugh...fine, but I'm going to at least see how good your partner there is...Renamon, show him what a real digimon can do." Naruto had stated earlier just what he thought of her "Renamon, walk all over him" saying...that is to say that he did not approve. At all. That being said, she now said things only pertinent to the situation, much to his relief.

With Naruto and Renamon, both sighed as their alone time seemed to be over. Breaking away, Naruto gave her some words of advice before Renamon departed to fight.

"I wouldn't use what I've been teaching you in this fight, there is no need...in fact you shouldn't have to use your own digimon attacks either. While Guilmon is probably decently strong, he lacks in agility and intelligence...consider this a training exercise, using only your speed, strength and intelligence. From our training they should have all risen considerably." He only received a nod in reply before she vanished, appearing next to Rika in a ready battle-stance.

When she appeared, Naruto's prediction quickly proved itself. Guilmon's childish personality vanished and his pupils narrowed into slits as he recognized an opponent. While the growl that came from Guilmon was...sad, both that and his eyes told Renamon that he had reverted into an instinctual feral state upon recognizing danger. While this would slightly amplify his ability to evade and increase his attack strength, his rational mind was all but gone during this time.

With her quick observation concluded, she decided to test Guilmon, running at him with speeds he should be able to easily follow. As expected, Guilmon reacted instantly, charging forward and launching a fireball with a cry of **"Pyrosphere!"**. She dodged easily enough but was slightly impressed by its power as it impacted with a wall, taking a decent chunk out of the wall. However, his attack left him open and she took advantage, giving him a nasty roundhouse kick to his left temple causing him to skid across the ground and into a car.

Of course, all the while Takato was having a fit shouting at Guilmon trying to get him to listen to him, while at the same time trying to make Rika pull back Renamon. Naruto could only shake his head at the situation; a team that did not work together or listen to each other could be worse than a person alone, as evidenced when Takato had to dodge a stray fireball as it soared past his location. He was quickly growing bored of this...it could not even be called a fight. Renamon simply danced around the raging Guilmon, occasionally giving a jarring blow before resuming her dance. However he had to give it to Guilmon, he had impressive stamina for one so inexperienced. He was about to tell Rika that they had seen enough, but before he could he detected yet _another_ presence approach...two in-fact, and he recognized them as the pacifist and bunny...thing. Sure enough, from a doorway off to the side emerged Henry with Terriermon on his head.

"Just what is going on here? Why are you guys making your digimon fight?"

Henry's statement caused Rika to swing around and view him while Renamon continued dodging, now simply evading to observe these new presences. Rika sighed as she saw the boy with a digimon riding on his head...it would seem yet _another_ tamer had arrived...just how many were there?

"Another one? You guys are like cockroaches! And what do you mean why am I making Renamon fight? I'm having her test the lizard's capabilities!" She said this all with a scowl on her face...while meeting a new tamer tonight was just barely manageable for her, meeting _two_ in one night was downright annoying.

Henry frowned at this, not at all approving of the situation. "Testing his capabilities? You're acting as if he's nothing more than a fighter! Digimon don't have to fight, Terriermon here can live a life of his own without the pressure of having to fight!" "But Henry I keep telling you.." "We've discussed this Terriermon!"

Ignoring Henry and Terriermon's argument, Rika instead was still fixated upon what Henry said before that...and it made her angry. "Hold on a second! Are you telling me that you _know _about the wild ones that keep coming through, and you don't do anything? The gogglehead at least thought it was a dream, but you knew?"

Henry paused in his argument with Terriermon to answer her. "Yes I knew, and _you _must be the tamer that keeps deleting them! Have you ever even tried to talk to them first? If what I'm seeing here tonight is any clue, I'm guessing not!"

Rika was about to respond with some heated words, but both were caught by surprise when a stray fireball hit the wall behind Henry, knocking him off his feet and launching Terriermon into the fray. As Henry shouted for Terriermon to get out of the way, Terriermon himself seemed to have different thoughts.

Everyone paused, even the battling Renamon and Guilmon, as Henry's d-power lit up like a beacon as a synthetic female voice came from it.

DIGIVOLUTION

To the shock of those present Terriermon worked in tandem with the device, calling out "Terriermon digivolve to..." as he trailed off his skin simply peeled off his body, showing a digital wireframe underneath. They all watched as it warped and grew, before the wireframe stood a little shorter than Renamon. When the wireframe stopped growing, new skin seemed to wrap itself around the frame, before what was once Terriermon now shouted out in a slightly deeper voice "..Gargomon!"

For the most part, Terriermon's color pattern stayed the same, as did his overall body shape. What_ did_ change was the fact that he was now sporting blue jeans, had markings on his face, a belt wrapped around his midsection...and by far the most alarming was that he now wielded two very large guns instead of hands. All was quiet for a moment as everyone stared at this new threat, including the threat itself. Then, Gargomon started..._giggling_ and without any further ado...trained his guns on multiple targets and cried out **"Gargo Pellets!"** and thus the madness began. People and digimon alike scattered as the out of control bunny laughed hysterically while trying to blast away anyone he saw.

Behind a column and well out of sight, Naruto narrowed his eyes at the scene, barely holding down his disgust. 'It would seem that if a digimon is unready to digivolve, doing so puts them in a berserker state...and that Henry kid is starting to piss me off. He refused to let his digimon battle when it obviously wanted too, and because of this eventually the bunny revolted against Henry's orders...and this is the result. Terriermon is at fault as well for losing control, sure...but if he had been properly prepared, none of this would have happened.'

**'Indeed, tonight has been full of examples of just why a team should work together...and how destructive it can be when they do not. Do you plan on stepping in, son?'**

'Not yet, there is no point until I am needed...but from the way Renamon isn't even able to get close to the trigger-happy bunny, I might need to step in soon.'

And indeed, Renamon was becoming quite annoyed at the situation...it was just one thing after another for her. First, she was fighting a berserk lizard...not hard to do, but quite annoying. Then, they find out that yet another tamer and his partner show up, and proceed to proclaim a message of "love and peace"...which irked her to no end, growing up in the digital world, she knew exactly how far that ideal would go. And now, she was forced into fighting yet _another_ berserker digimon...only this one was a champion and was turning the surroundings into Swiss-cheese; making it very hard for her to get close. She was so focused on not obtaining any piercings that she did not notice that the car she landed ten feet in front of was sparking from bullet impacts, and that the sparks had reached the leaking gas tank. Therefore, she was completely caught by surprise when an explosion behind her launched her into a column a good fifteen feet away, stunning her momentarily and making stars explode across her vision.

When she managed to clear her vision some, she noticed that the bullets she had been dodging frantically had stopped and wondered why. She got her answer when she turned in the direction of Gargomon, who now had both of his guns trained on her...and she could do nothing about it.

Naruto had viewed the explosion in slow-motion, watching in a stunned silence as Renamon was launched into a column and momentarily disabled. However, upon seeing the damned Gargomon train his guns onto Renamon's prone form, his mind and body went into overdrive. _'Shit! If I use kawarimi with Renamon I'll end up with a few hundred extra holes...and if I attacked Gargomon right off it may cause him to reflexively fire...no choice, it seems I have to show some of my skills to these humans far earlier than I had intended.'_ With no other option, Naruto sighed before mentally releasing his gravity seal...he had forgotten what he set it at, for it had been nearly a year since he had adjusted it last, and it would be a pain in the ass to reset if he needed to once more. To any observer it would seem as if he had simply disappeared, the only indication something had happened was that a line of debris was suddenly blown away in a gale.

She did not want to believe it...she knew that the chance of being deleted as a tamer's digimon was high, but she most certainly did not want it...not after meeting her new-found love and finally getting Rika to right her wrongs. However, that did not mean she wouldn't stare death in the face; she'd be damned if she wasn't defiant to the end. And so, she stared down the barrels of Gargomon's guns unblinkingly, and was thus confused when her view of them was blocked by something black. She was even more confused when she heard the telltale sounds of Gargomon's guns opening fire, only for the sound on clanging to retaliate. Snapping out of her reverie, she finally realized that it was Naruto who had intervened, and the clanging sounds were that of his sword deflecting the oncoming bullets. Once more she was reminded of just how far she had to go until she could even have the slightest chance of sparring with him on equal ground...his sword was just a silver gleam which blurred in front of Naruto, his arms very much the same as he slowly walked towards Gargomon while parrying.

There was not much that got to Naruto, but he had to admit this was quite annoying. With his gravity seal gone he had no trouble deflecting the oncoming projectiles with his sword, but it was nevertheless extremely annoying. As he slowly approached Gargomon, he wondered just how much projectiles the bunny could hold...he was bound to run out some time! When he finally got within striking range with his sword, both his arms and sword flashed twice more, striking both of Gargomon's gun's with the flat of the blade and throwing the bunny's arms to the side. Upon being granted such an opening, Naruto struck hard and fast, seemingly disappearing once more from his position four feet from Gargomon and reappearing with his left fist entrenched firmly in Gargomon's gut, the impact lifting the overgrown bunny off his feet. Before Gargomon even touched the ground once more he de-digivolved back into Terriermon, whom was clearly unconscious from the impact.

Naruto slowly stood up from his crouch, sheathing his sword once more and proceeded to walk towards Renamon, doing a valiant job of ignoring everyone's gaping expressions directed towards him. Upon reaching Renamon, he knelt down next to her and laid a claw on her left cheek, his eyes roving over her form. In low voice he finally spoke up, his words thick with emotion.

"Are...are you alright Rena-chan? I had almost lost you again, it tears me up every time I have to see you fight...but I know that you need to gain experience. Even then, having to watch you fight alone instills such a fear in me...I don't want to lose you...not after just finding you." As he finished a lone tear escaped his right eye, showing the emotions he was barely holding back.

For Renamon, she was quite touched at his worry, and finally saw just how much she meant to him. He had never loved someone before that did not accept him for their own reasons: his father because he saw Naruto's life and was sealed within him, the kitsune clan because he was their new leader...she was the first to accept him for no other reason than the simple fact that she liked him. As this understanding dawned on her, she found herself falling even further in love with him...he had jumped in the way to protect her, used his body as a shield to save her own. Adopting Naruto's policy of ignoring the observers she took one of her own claws and drew down Naruto's mask with it before leaning in to kiss him deeply. Ignoring the gasps around them, she remained that way a few seconds more before pulling away, a serene smile upon her muzzle as she answered Naruto.

"I'm fine Naruto-kun, thanks to you. I know its hard on you to watch me fight, but you know I have to do this, the best way to gain experience is during real battle situations, you told me yourself. But I have faith in you to protect me should the need arise as you have done tonight, and in time I hope to be able to do the same in return."

While this indeed relived Naruto a great deal, he still was not happy with the near death encounter. "Thank you Rena-chan...that helped a bit. Regardless, I am going to find some way to amplify your training, there must be something we can do...when we train tomorrow, we will be doing a little experiment, alright?" Upon getting her consent, he re-attached his mask and stood up, his expression becoming as cold as an arctic tundra as he faced a still stunned Henry. Pointing a clawed digit at Henry, he spoke up for all to hear; the hostility in his voice sending shivers down the spines of all who were present.

"You, grab your digimon and come with me...it is time you and I had a little talk." When it seemed his words were not quite getting through to the boy, he let loose a small amount of his killing intent, snapping Henry out of his stupor and instilling the fear of...Kyuubi...into the boy. "I do not know what you thought that was _boy_, but to enlighten you it was not a request, it was a demand. Come with me. _**NOW!**_" His voice took on two tones at the end, one his normal voice, the other deep and menacing. Needless to say Henry quickly gathered Terriermon and followed the frightening individual into the adjacent parking garage.

Naruto was well aware of the fact that the others were "stealthily" following them, but it did not matter. In fact, what he was about to discuss was something everyone needed to hear anyways, regardless of whether or not they shared Henry's views. When he arrived in the middle of the parking garage, he stopped and turned around, facing Henry's nervous form stoically. When he spoke, it was with the monotone he often used for psychological warfare.

"Tell me Henry...do you know why your digimon went berserk tonight?"

This seemed to instill Henry with some courage, his own convictions enabling him to do so. "Yes, it was because he was forced to fight! Now before you play twenty questions with me I think some questions about you need to be answered. I scanned you during your battle with Gargomon, and you have no digital patterns, meaning you are not a digimon. However that leaves more questions than answers...you look human, yet you are obviously not. First, what you just did should be impossible, you deflected every bullet with a sword! No one has reflexes or a reaction time that good. Second, is your eyes; they're slitted...a trait not found amongst humans. And third is your general appearance. With that strange silver armor with black veins and your attire, I had assumed you to be a digimon. These facts combined lead me to ask...what are you? And fourth was your...interactions with Renamon...what exactly was that?" His observations stated, Henry leaned back against a pillar and awaited his answers.

"Play twenty questions you say? Very well, I will humor you this once...however you WILL answer me when I ask as well. Now to answer your questions in order: You are correct, I am not a digimon, nor am I a human. As for what exactly I am, that will most likely be revealed in time...but for now such information will only be told to those I deem worthy, and you are not one. As for my interaction with Renamon, I do not believe that is any of your business. What we do should be of no concern to you. Now then, as to your answer to my original question...you are incorrect. I do not know if someone told you such a lie or you drew such a conclusion yourself, but your answer could not be more wrong. The reason Terriermon went berserk tonight is because he was simply not ready for the power of Gargomon. Ever heard of the saying, "power corrupts"? It holds some truths to it. If one is not properly prepared for the power they receive, it will instill them with a sense of euphoria, making them think they can take on anything and anyone. When it comes to digimon, they can only properly prepare themselves for this by having experience...gained by battling others, be it digimon or otherwise. Now for my next question: since it is all too apparent that Terriermon does not have the experience needed to digivolve..._why _does he not? I know you have had him for at least four months, I had observed the two of you before this night. Four months is ample time for such; Renamon is more than ready to take the next step, even though she is unaware of such. You have had ample time to prepare him, now I want to hear your reasons why you have not." As he finished, Naruto did not relent from his chilling gaze, daring Henry to lie to him.

While Henry was mildly unnerved by Naruto's statements, the fact that Naruto himself had no digimon of his own bolstered his courage once more...how could he know what prepares a digimon if he himself does not have one?

"I already told you why; he doesn't need to fight! He battled constantly in the digimon world, and now that he's here he doesn't need to anymore! And how would you know what prepared a digimon to evolve, you don't even have one!"

Naruto's eyes narrowed into mere slits at this...the naivety of this child was starting to get to him. If the boy would not listen to calm logic, it was time to bring out the harsh logic as he did with Rika...only this time there would be no deception.

"Fool! Take a good look at me boy! Look at what I wear, the weapons I wield, the armor I don and the way in which I move, and tell me what you see! I can tell from the way you carry yourself that you at least have some teachings in the art of close combat, therefore reading your opponents should be second nature to you...now tell me!" As he ended everyone could tell that it was not a request, it was a demand.

As Henry realized this, he studied Naruto's appearance closely...and as he viewed just what type of weaponry Naruto wielded, his face grew pale and his eyes widened. He had only heard of such types of weapons from his sensei, and they were used a long, long time ago. However, the antiquity was not what worried him...it was their purpose, and the type of person that wielded them.

"Those...are those kunai and...shuriken? The last time those were seen was back in the Shimabara Rebellion! And the people that used them were..." He trailed off at the end, not wanting his theory to be confirmed. However, Naruto was dead set on making his point.

"Assassins? Spies? _Shinobi_? Yes on all accounts. They may be but a myth for you, but for where I come from they are very real. And as you have obviously figured out, I am one myself. To further enlighten you, I have trained to be a shinobi from the age of _five_, and made my first kill_s _at the same age. The point of me telling you all of this? Its quite simple; to show you the inaccuracy of your statements...I may not have a digimon, this is true, but I AM a fighter, and have been one since you were born! That being said, I can say the next statement with absolute certainty: digimon or not, one needs to know _how _to wield power before they are given it. I have seen many instances in which those who were given power before they were ready to wield it _died_ because they were not ready; the same thing will happen to your digimon! Now, as for your little statement that your digimon does not need to fight...tell me Henry, have you fought a wild one yet?"

Henry slowly nodded, still trying to get over the fact that the man in front of him had killed...several times before.

"And when you tried to be nice and talk to it, as is your policy, what happened? Did it realize the wrongdoings it had committed and begged for your apology? Was the digimon even amicable...or did it just ignore or laugh at you before attacking?"

The sheepish look that crossed over Henry's face was all Naruto needed.

"That look says it all, it completely ignored your pleas. And yet _another_ factor you've seemed to happily ignore...why do you think you have Terriermon? You think he came to this world for the sole reason of playing the roll of a doll? Do not be naïve boy! I can guarantee you it is not coincidence that you three have gained digimon partners, while at the same time digimon started attacking this world. Your partner was sent here for a reason, and ignoring such would be cowardly...in fact...you would be voluntarily endangering your family." His tone was icy at the end, and caused Henry's eyes to widen before he glared at Naruto.

"What do you mean? How am I voluntarily endangering my family?"

"Damnit boy, use that brain you've been given! When a wild one emerges, their main priority is to cause mayhem most of the time. Yet if another digimon is near, they start heading right towards them. Now consider the fact that you yourself have a digimon, and also remember he lives with you..._with your family_! Get it now? By just ignoring the problem, the problem will simply come to you instead and endanger your family in the process! Either you get your damn head out of your ass and toss the pacifist approach, or you kill your family. You choose Henry, if you choose incorrectly I will not help as you reap the consequences of your actions...or lack thereof." His point made with brutal clarity, Naruto walked back into the wrecked parking garage, leaving one anguished Henry Wong behind, along with his still unconscious digimon.

Behind a car twenty feet away, two digimon and two tamers slowly moved out as well, thinking about what had just been said. All was quiet for a few moments until Takato spoke up quietly. "Man...that was harsh."

On the other side of Rika, Renamon snorted before responding. "That may be, but it still needed to be said...that boy..Henry would only endanger everyone around him by refusing to fight, as we have all seen tonight."

This time it was Rika's turn to snort. "Yeah no kidding...it may have been harsh but it gets the job done." _'It certainly worked on me at least." _"But what in the world did Naruto do? I thought you were bluffing when you told be he could go faster Renamon...but he was deflecting every single bullet...from _two gatling guns_!"

Once more Takato spoke up upon being reminded of the 'so cool!' thing Naruto did. "Yeah how did he do that? I mean that was so cool, he was like some super samurai ninja dude!" As he finished, Takato deemed it necessary that he attempt a reenactment of the scene, with Guilmon watching him like only a child could.

Renamon nearly snorted at what Takato said, for although his description was...colorful...it was surprisingly apt; he just left out the whole leader-of-a-beast-race thing. But that little fact would remain a secret for some time yet...or at least she hopes so. As both she and Rika steadfastly ignored Takato's antics, she thought over the conversation they had 'stealthily' eavesdropped on. She knew that Naruto was all too aware of their presences, but that knowledge certainly hadn't stopped him from being brutally blunt with his cold logic. However...cold it may be, but the results more than proved its effectiveness. When they left Henry still was slumped on the ground looking like reality had fallen down on him...which was probably very much the case for him after Naruto was done. For Rika, he had performed a damn miracle: she actually _cares_ now, even if he had to mentally rip her apart for it to work.

As they walked away from the scene and eventually split ways with Takato and Guilmon, both wondered where Naruto had gone off too...Renamon guessed to his den to either train or rest, but couldn't be positive. Either way, she was sure that he would be there at some point in the night and she would be waiting for him if he wasn't there when she arrived...she had come to enjoy sleeping curled up next to him quite a bit.

Meanwhile, Naruto did indeed plan on going back to his den to meditate a bit, and since it was already quite late he decided to walk his way there...at least most of the way. To avoid drawing attention to his armor he withdrew a black robe from a scroll he always carried with him and slung it over his form. Sure, a very large man walking around entirely clothed in black was certainly conspicuous, but compared to a very large man clad in dangerous armor and armed to the teeth...he'll take option one. He was about halfway back when he started to pay attention to the large black vehicle that had been seemingly following him for the past two blocks, trying in vain to avoid catching his attention.

Naruto scoffed at this...the idea that such a loud machine could achieve such was laughable. As he continued walking, Naruto suddenly veered into an adjacent alley, where he flickered onto the roof of the building once he made sure no one could see him...he wanted to see just what these people wanted with him. Sure enough, not twenty seconds later he saw the van drive up to the alley entrance, blocking it off so that the only way out...normally...was through the van doors. Upon arriving the doors immediately swung open and three individuals garbed in black suits stepped out. Two followed a step behind the middle one, both had the appearance of bodyguards, while the middle man was clearly the ringleader.

As Naruto observed this his right eyebrow raised in amusement and curiosity...from the way these people dressed, they did not appear to belong to any...well known organization, and they wanted it to stay that way. He chuckled quietly to himself as he observed the ringleader scan the alley before letting out a few choice words, obviously not happy he had eluded them. Now Naruto was faced with two choices: one, take his leave and leave his curiosity unsatisfied...or two, sate his curiosity and also risk having a confrontation. He gave both options some thought...for as long as it took him to sink into the roof of the building he was on and reappear in a dark corner of the alley...he was a kitsune after all! He may be a cold emotionless bastard to most, but he would admit he was quite a curious and mischievous individual as well...he blamed his father. As he began to slowly walk out of the alley corner, he managed to overhear the man's mumbling.

"Where the hell could that man have gone...we saw him walk in here!" The man continued to grumble as his 'henchmen' stood back near the van, securing the area.

"Hmm...indeed, where did he go?" An amused voice responded from a corner of the alley before the very man he was looking for stepped out of the shadows.

"You! How did you that! You weren't in this alley when I checked!" He was quite annoyed by this...he prided himself on his thoroughness, and yet this man was able to evade his search...in a damn alley!

"Yes, me. As for how I did that...what would I gain by telling you? I think I'll just keep that little secret to myself for now. Now I believe it is time for you to answer some questions of my own. First, why are you following me, and who are you?"

At this the blonde man composed himself before answering in a strict voice, "You can call me Yamaki, and as for why we were following you...we know you have had contact with digimon, one yellow fox in particular. We want to know why. We already know about the children that are 'tamers', but you are obviously not."

"Oh...so you know about digimon as well do you? How interesting...and yes I am most certainly...familiar with _Renamon._ As for my reasons...why should I give such information to you? After all, I don't take kindly to being stalked and then having said stalker demand answers from _me_."

Yamaki began to grow irritated...this should have been a quick pick up followed by an interrogation in a secure location, and instead they were playing twenty questions! "You should answer my questions for a few very good reasons. First, you are outnumbered and cornered in an alley...an unfortunate position. Two, the organization's job is to dispose of any incoming digimon, and your presence around them is alarming. And finally three...it would be most unfortunate if something unforeseen was to happen to that yellow fox digimon..." He trailed off at the end, allowing a cruel smirk to adorn his face...unknowingly crossing a line that should not be crossed with Naruto.

Naruto's amused face obscured in the darkness of his hood quickly morphed into one of fury as he heard the thinly veiled threat. This was amusing no longer; this Yamaki needed to be taught a lesson.

**'He threatened a pack member's life! Teach this miserable excuse of a human a lesson he will not forget!' **Kyuubi was practically frothing at the mouth in Naruto's mindscape...to threaten a pack member was paramount to attempted murder of a family member.

'Do not worry father, I have every intention of making my response all to clear for this filth.' Turning his attention back to the man, he gave his response, his voice no longer amused; now it was low and was very akin to a growl.

"You think your little posse can do anything to me? The weapons I carry are not just for show, but please, by all means come at me! And if your job is to 'dispose' of any incoming digimon...hell of a job there...you just missed a few...dozen...and just to let you know...threatening a friend of mine is the very worst thing you could have done, and your men will pay the price for your transgression." With that parting comment he settled into the Puppetmaster style and waited.

He did not have to wait long. Yamaki could tell the time for talk was over, and he motioned the two to apprehend the man while he himself approached the van once more. The two men instantly pulled out taser guns and fired them at Naruto. These of course were promptly dodged by Naruto, whom once more resumed his stance now that the taser guns were useless for now. At this the two men charged, both assuming their own close combat stances. While Naruto could tell they were well trained, they were still complete amateurs compared to him...and noone knew of his style.

When they got withing his range they both struck at once, one throwing a punch aimed for his head while the other attempted a low kick. Naruto dodged both by diving at them horizontally, and as he passed he delivered two piercing jabs to the men, taking out their respective body parts. He wasted no time as he landed behind them and performed a sweep kick, taking their footing out from beneath them and sending them to the ground temporarily. However it was all the time Naruto needed, as he just as quickly approached their falling bodies and delivered a crushing upward chop to the back of their necks as they fell. Upon hitting the ground both men lay deathly still, neither rising up, mainly due to the awkward angle at which their heads now lay.

All was quiet for a moment before Naruto approached the van and a stunned Yamaki...he did not blame him for his surprise...after all, not many people in this world are capable or willing to kill in such a fashion. He decided it was high time to give his parting comments to this filth.

"As I said before, Yamaki...your men were inadequate, as are your threats to me and mine. If you attempt to carry out your threats against those I care about, I will personally make what happened tonight look like a child's scuffle." With this his tone took on a false cheer as he gave his final words. "Have a good night, Yamaki-san." And with that he backed into an alley wall before seeming to simply sink into it as one would water before disappearing altogether, leaving behind a thoroughly unnerved Yamaki.

Naruto finally arrived back at his den and heaved a deep sigh of relief as he walked down the winding passage...while tonight was nothing to him physically...it was mentally exhausting dealing with so many dumbasses in one day. As he entered his main room he reverted back into his hybrid form, breathing out a sigh of relief as he did...he was so much more comfortable like this! However he seemed to be forgetting something, but he was not sure of what...oh well, he'd figure it out after he had eaten.

However his answer was soon given to him as two warm arms wrapped around him from behind, pulling his form up against a form he knew all to well.

"And just where have you been Naruto-kun?" This was followed up by a warm nuzzle against his own muzzle from Renamon.

"Oh, just dealing with some unexpected trash I ran into...but no need to worry about it, I made sure the situation was dealt with." He turned around and carefully hugged Renamon back, careful about the spikes on his armor.

"Hmm...perhaps we should get all of this armor off of you...while I admit it is rather stunning on you, I am not too keen on becoming acquainted with one of it's spikes."

Naruto nodded at this, and soon all this armor and clothing was off and packed away neatly. In his hybrid form there was no need for clothing, everything was well covered by a thick layer of fur. After he was free of his equipment, both he and Renamon enjoyed a deer together before washing up in the pool.

As both once more crawled into Naruto's bed and curled up against each-other, Naruto decided to speak up before they drifted off to sleep.

"Rena-chan, tomorrow we will test an idea for improving your training...if it works, the speed at which you learn will exponentially increase."

Renamon nodded tiredly form her position before responding. "Very well Naruto-kun, and I hope it works...but for now let us rest, it has been a long day." Hearing no complaint, she slowly drifted off to sleep, Naruto soon following, but not before giving Renamon a gentle kiss on her muzzle.

The next morning found both Renamon and Naruto once again in the main room, Renamon awaiting Naruto's instructions as he went over ideas with his father. Finally, Naruto opened his eyes and smiled at Renamon before talking.

"Well I'm sure you're curious as to what I have planned, so I'll just come out and tell you: I plan on teaching you how to manipulate your energy the way I do; in essence I will attempt to teach you ninjutsu." His smile only grew wider as Renamon's eyes open wide in shock at his words.

"What? You think I would be able to perform techniques like those I have seen you do? Then by all means let's begin!" Her enthusiasm only made his smile grow wider...they were very similar in regards to learning new things.

"Hai hai...but first I have a little bit of bad news. Because ninjutsu was originally designed by humans and for humans, most of the handsigns needed to perform ninjutsu require more than the three claws you possess." Seeing her expression fall at this he was quick to redeem himself. "However! That does not mean you shouldn't be able to perform ninjutsu that rely solely on energy manipulation. In addition, there is at least one very important jutsu with handsigns that you should be able to perform...the Kage Bunshin. You know of the clone's properties; what they learn you learn, the more you make, the faster you learn."

Renamon was almost bouncing due to her excitement...if she could create Kage Bunshin the possibilities were practically endless! However she did have one question. "That's amazing...but what jutsu's use only energy manipulation? I've only ever seen you use ones that use handsigns."

"You are correct, and the reason you have never seen me perform any is the simple fact that most are extremely destructive. You remember the nickname I told you I gained in my world? I will show you one of the attacks which earned it."

As he ended Naruto stepped back and began to compress his youki into his right arm. As he did, a thick crimson substance oozed out of him and collected on his arm. It wasn't long before his entire arm was engulfed by it, after which he converted some of his youki into the elements of fire and lightning and channeled it there as well, shaping the youki formed at his paw.

Renamon watched in astonishment as the liquid energy on his arm suddenly lit aflame, before just as quickly becoming electrified in a storm of dancing bolts. Both elements seemed to fight one another for a moment before they merged, forming a brightly glowing liquid that lanced with energy. To finish it up, the liquid where Naruto's right paw was quickly contorted into the shape of a fox's head, which bore a menacing snarl.

Naruto held up his glowing arm before talking once more. "I have no real name for this...I have not thought of one and it is only a formality. What you see before you is a fusion of fire and lightning...plasma. If I were to unleash this, the den we are in would disintegrate under the massive heat wave released. If we are successful here today, then perhaps one day you too will be able to perform such feats. Now, to see if such is possible. The handsign for the Kage Bunshin is simple a cross-seal, easily performed by you. You need not incant the name itself, as you already know how to channel your energy into attacks; simply focus your energy into the handsigns and visualize what you desire...in this case a clone or clones of yourself."

Renamon did as instructed, forming a cross with her claws and closing her eyes to better visualize what she wanted. She pictured an exact replica of herself standing next to Naruto, and doing as instructed directed some of her digital energy into her claws. She had no delusions that it would be this easy, most things came only with hard work and lots of practice. It took a few moments, but then her energy seemed to take on a mind of its own and started to flow out of her at an alarming pace. She was alarmed by the amount of energy it took...she only wanted one! Thinking of anything to cut off the flow, she ended her mental image, uncrossed her claws and opened her eyes. Sure enough, the energy flow stopped and she was left only somewhat tired. Upon looking at Naruto however, she caught sight of his Cheshire grin and looked to where his eyes were looking. She herself jumped back in surprise when she came muzzle to muzzle with an all to familiar face.

As for Naruto, he could not have been more proud. _'She got it on the first try...damn she's good! Sure she may have literally dumped energy into this one, but practice makes perfect!'_ Snapping out of his reverie, Naruto gave the real Renamon a beaming smile before speaking.

"Well now...Kage Bunshin test: SUCCESS! Let the training commence!"

**Ending Notes: **And there's chapter 5! Sorry it took a while to get it out, but the two-updates memorial weekend backed me up quite a bit. Anyways...the poll will be concluded tomorrow, but I'm going to go ahead and say the votes were unanimous: I should be able to correct them and update them by sometime tomorrow. Not much else to say, I'm dead tired tonight, but I will still respond to my reviews!

**Xutzy: Thanks, I tried to make it a warm moment, glad I succeeded!**

**Raizen Lord of Twilight: Well you get so see their reactions to a kiss at least...they'll have more to endure later though :D. And no problem, it made sense and I agree with it.**

**Mshadow88: Thanks for the compliment, and yeah I admit I enjoyed thrashing her skewed outlook.**

**Childofthelord: Thanks for the review!**

**Hades45: Here it is! :D**

**aquamewblast: Its nothing to complicated, the 'lips' that are on a canine's muzzle are surprisingly controllable, and a kiss would simply be putting them together, just as humans do. As for the digital energy, it simply dissipates; the same thing happened in the show when Takato refused to let Guilmon absorb any.**

**ScarsOfThePast: Thanks for the slew of compliments! Heh, I think I felt my ego grow! 'grabs a needle'**

**Bahumat knight: Well, I'll give you a big clue on the earliest at which Naruto's true form will be revealed: he said he needed a lot of open space, an area which is not easily found anywhere near where they currently reside...they would have to go someplace entirely different.**

**Lightningblade49: There ya go!**

**Magician Girl Mirani: I'm glad you enjoyed the scenes! I enjoyed writing both of those in particular, one for the challenge of properly presenting a fight, and the other for making the touching scene come across as just right. Yes I have no doubt Scotland is awesome...its way the hell up north, where a few of my ancestors come from, and its COLD!...I love cold :D. And finally, I found someone that seems to dislike the damnable old coot as much as I! Perhaps we could have a rant-session about him eh? Lol, anyways thanks for the review, I'll try and keep this story updated regularly.**

**Dark Raven 19: Awww hell...you just had to say BRILLIANT didn't you? Now I have the Guinness commercials stuck in my head! XD**

**Gallantmon228: Thanks for your continued support. Really, its rare enough for people to review, I thank you for you continuing to do such, and your support is appreciated.**

**This is not a flame just some: 'Gasp' Awwww look at it! 'Takes a picture' my very first flame! :D**

**Forward-Always forward: Heh, well here you go!**

**Sephiroth owns u all: Wow...well thank you...three times! ^^**

**Vandenbz: Your wait is over, and you will see more of their interactions with him soon.**

**Amaterasu's vassel: Thanks! And it will most likely be a good while until we see Naruto's true form make an appearance, unless I decide to do a massive skip...which would probably ruin the story.**

**The-wandering-scribe: Sweet! My story has been officially deemed epic...I feel all warm. Thanks for the support! ^^**

**jaredhimself31: Thanks for the compliments, and I'm glad it came out realistic.**

**ChaosWolfCM: Will do!**


	6. New Abilities, questions, camaradere

**Hello again everyone! Now, before you bite my head off for not posting until now, let me explain. When I posted the last chapter last Wednesday, I really didn't want to...but I knew you guys were waiting. See, I _highly_ prefer to release my chapters on the weekends, preferable Friday or Saturday...which is why I am doing such now. However, because it has been a longer wait than usual, this chapter will reflect that; it will be longer than usual. I plan for quite a bit of things to happen in this one, but as to what...you'll just have to read to find out! :D **

"**You want me to talk into what?**" – Kyuubi speaking, jutsus/digimon attacks

"Get that thing out of my face!" – Normal speaking

'_What the hell was that thing?_' – Thoughts/thinking

'Hello?' **'Hello?'** – Thought-speak

~~~Scene Change~~~ : Obviously denotes a scene change.

-(Location)- : place of current scene.

**Disclaimer : I do not own anything belonging to Naruto or Digimon. However, I DO own this story.**

**-New Abilities, the question, and camaraderie-**

Naruto did not waste any time: upon knowing that she could indeed mold her energy to mimick ninjutus, he has made her make a few more while he himself made just as many. After this was done, the five pairs found different areas around the room and proceeded to go through different katas. While this was going on, the real Naruto turned to an out of breath Renamon and let out a light chuckle at the sight; he could sympathize with her.

"Ah, I see you're feeling a bit winded after producing five of the clones...to be honest that's quite good, especially considering its your first time. The very first time I tried I made only two and quickly passed out after that from the strain...I'm proud of you, Rena-chan."

At his words Renamon couldn't stop the wide grin that spread across her muzzle...she knew from experience that Naruto did not compliment lightly; if he said it, he not only meant it but probably was even prouder than he let on. "Thank you Naruto-kun, but I could not have done it without your help."

Naruto simply gave her his own warm smile in response before he moved onto the next step in their training. "Think nothing of it Rena-chan. Now for what we will do, I will give you some gravity seals to train with. You see, while shadow clones are extremely useful, even they have limitations. As it is, shadow clones can help you go over more information at an astounding rate, and what they _learn_ will be passed onto you; this includes the kata stances, muscle memory and energy manipulation. However, obviously physical traits gained by the clones will not become yours once dispersed; therefore the gravity seals I am going to inscribe will help you in the area of speed and strength. Would you mind if I put them on your gloves? Once they are on, they will fade until your energy is once more channeled into them."

Renamon didn't even need to think about it, this would greatly help her in her training; one could never be too strong or fast. Once she nodded her assent, Naruto unsealed an inkwell and brush and proceeded to inscribe the seals upon her gloves. This being the first time she had seen a seal being made, it was quite entrancing for her...seeing a seal master at work was always a sight to see, but for someone whom had never even seen a seal in her life? Needless to say she was impressed, she didn't think his anatomy in his hybrid form would allow such dexterity in his digits, but this proved her wrong. Once the seal was complete on both of her gloves it looked like two pieces of a puzzle that would fit together, that upon being put together would resemble her yin-yang symbol...had he planned this one just for her?

"Naruto-kun, why does it look like the two seals fit together? And did you make these just for me? The symbols resemble those I myself am adorned with."

Naruto laughed once again at her observations...she kept commenting on things before he could explain them! "Well, it looks like the two fit together for one simple reason: they do. You see, if I were to inscribe the entire seal upon just one part of your body, it would only affect that part. By breaking the seal into a minimum of two different parts and placing them on two opposite appendages of the body, the seal is able to affect the body as a whole, which includes all of your muscle groups. I could have broken the seal up into more parts, but doing so would only make removing the seals more difficult if such a thing ever needed to be done. Typically, one would only have a seal broken into many parts when they wanted to ensure that whatever they were sealing would remain sealed. For a good example of this, take a good look at the seal I myself am adorned with; it was designed to ensure that my father would never escape...they thought he was a bloodthirsty, uncontrollable demon and so wanted to make sure his escape would be nearly impossible." Thought such thoughts made Naruto's blood boil, not was not the time. So, he focused his youki into the seal on his stomach. As soon as he did, a black seal weaved its way into existence onto his red fur adorning his belly.

Meanwhile, Renamon gazed in curiosity at the piece of art that had appeared on Naruto's belly. _'So this is what caused Naruto such grief in his life...how ironic; something so intricate and beautiful in its own way caused untold horrors to happen to a child.' _As she finished her thoughts, Naruto spoke up once more, continuing his impromptu seal lesson.

"You see how eight parts branch off from the whole? That is called the eight trigram seal and as you have most likely already guessed, it is broken up into eight different pieces, all connected by the spiral you see in the middle. If you look closer, you will see that what appears to be simple lines are actually very tiny symbols; this is the ingenuity of...of my progenitor. I might despise that man, but I have to give him credit; his sealing was pure genius."

Looking closer, Renamon's eyes widened as she saw that indeed, what she had originally thought were lines were actually thousands of tiny symbols woven together to create this masterpiece. _'Amazing...the effort it must have taken to have created such a thing...' _As she continued her observations, Naruto continued on with the lesson.

"Each of those symbols has a different meaning, and symbols arranged in varying formations can literally design a seal to do anything; this one was designed to hold my father, make sure he could not get out, and lastly worked as a converter to filter his potent youki into what I once had; chakra. Of course this feature does not function anymore, but when it did the youki was siphoned from where his soul resided in my belly and onto the seal. It would wind its way across the spiral in the middle, being diluted as it went, then once it encountered the eight trigram seal the diluted energy was converted into chakra and sent into my system. That is a very brief explanation of what that seal does...there are countless more small functions it has, but the majority have been nullified since I willingly disrupted the seal itself. Now what the seal I have applied to your gloves does is fairly simple. Before I explain thought, please channel some of your energy into them."

Renamon nodded, still a little dazed over the influx of sealing information she had just been given. _'And to think, he said that what he told me was the _simplified_ version! Its a very interesting field to look into, but for now I think I need to focus on more pressing matters.' _Closing her eyes, she drew some of her energy up and through her arms, pausing at the forearms before willing the energy to escape into her gloves. As the energy did as she bid she watched as the seals on her gloves once more became visible, but this time she noticed that above each was a black "1". As the energy entered the gloves, the number seemed to shift and warp before becoming a "2". Almost immediately she stumbled as everything seemed to become heavier, but luckily Naruto had been expecting this and caught her with no problems. Hearing his bemused chuckle, she looked up at his face and gave a very un-Renamon-like pout. This of course changed his chuckling into all-out laughter as he observed this, both falling onto a pile of furs as his body shook with the effort to keep it in.

After a few minutes of wheezing, Naruto finally calmed down enough to explain to Renamon what just happened. "Ahh...that was good...oh don't look at me like that, everyone who gets a gravity seal has to go through that, its tradition! Now then, back to the main topic: what you just felt was obviously the gravity seal taking effect. However, while the seal is called the gravity seal...in reality it does not increase the gravity for you, those have been tried and can be extremely dangerous...as a matter of fact I have a few specially designed items I made that utilize such a thing around here somewhere...but I digress. What the seal you wear really does is simply multiply the effort you apply when you move any of your muscles. That "2" you saw on your gloves before it faded tells us that right now, any action you do will strain your muscles twice as hard...the higher it is, the more it multiplies. Now that you have activated it, to change the level all you need to do is channel your energy into the gloves and merely think which level you wish it at, and your body and seal will do the rest. If you add to the level, it will take away some energy, and vice-versa if you take away from it. You will be starting out at this level and will keep it at this level until you no longer notice it. After such it will be increased, and so on and so fourth...however I will limit you to a level of ten until I deem it needed to go any higher. The reasons for this is that after that, there is a possibility of your muscle mass growing out of proportion with your dexterity...and therefore you would start to lose agility. But I wouldn't worry about running into that problem anytime soon...most I know never even reach ten, but I have a feeling you will...just not for a while yet. Now, before we start your physical training, any questions?"

Renamon thought about his question carefully...after all, she knew from experience that when Naruto began training you for the day, you didn't pause until it was over, so any questions needed to be asked now. Now that she thought about it, there was one thing she was curious about... "Just one Naruto-kun...what is your gravity seal level at?"

Naruto simply lifted up his right gauntlet at her question and channeled youki into it. On the metal plate that covered the back of his paw his own seal lit up a eerie crimson, taking the appearance of nine tails spiraling around a central point. However, that was not what caused Renamon to gape...it was the blood-red number that was just above this seal. A gothic style "20" was sitting there, practically thrumming with the youki held within.

"T-twenty? I thought you said that muscle mass started to grow out of control after level 10? How is it you're walking around with a simulated twenty times our gravity...in armor?" This truly did baffle her...she knew Naruto was strong after having witnessed exampled of such many times...but out of all those times she had never seen the seals on his gauntlets light up, which meant he was battling with the restrictions on. She shuddered at the thought of just how fast he moved without the restrictions.

Meanwhile, Naruto had been expecting her outburst and had prepared accordingly. "Yes, I did say that muscle mass typically outgrew dexterity at that point...but that is _usually_. My race, and myself in particular due to my status, are able to compact our muscles to obscene levels. Right now my muscles are about as tightly wound as a steel cable, and this is the current limit; even for me. If I were to try and exceed 20 at this point in time, my body would be forced to expand my muscle mass to make room for more, as my muscles are at their maximum density already. I was simply saying a limit of 10 for you to be safe; I am not familiar with your limits, and until I am we will not exceed 10. Any more questions?" At seeing Renamon simply shake her head in the negative, Naruto gave his own nod and rose, with Renamon quickly copying him. After this, he cast a simple camouflage jutsu on them both and told Renamon to go on outside and begin her warmup stretches. Because of this, she never saw the one-tailed kitsune he summoned, the words they traded, or the exited look in the kitsune's eyes before he disappeared once more.

~~~Scene Change~~~

-(Shinjuku Park)-

Naruto looked on proudly as Renamon continued to fight his shadow clone to a stalemate. Sure, the clone might only have a tenth of the real one's strength, and it may still be limited by the gravity seals...but he had slaughtered mid level chuunin with just as much. Considering that she was fighting the clone on even ground, with her own gravity seal set at 4...he was _damn _proud of her. If she was able to accomplish this at just _rookie _level...well he looked forward to what she would be like as a champion and above. As he watched her continue to weave, deflect, and counter his clone, he thought back to the past month...and what a busy month it had been.

First, there was Rika. Over the past month Renamon had managed to worm her way into Rika's heart, and though he would not openly admit such yet, Rika had wormed her way into his. At first he was still suspicious of it all being an act, but over time he came to see that she had truly realized her mistake and was working to correct it. As such, he began to see her as someone to look after...almost like a little sister. While Renamon now spent all her nights with Naruto, they both visited Rika at least once a day and continually battled wild ones with her, and sometimes took her along to either watch them train or give her a little training as well, mainly being in self defence and evasion. As of now, he could breathe a little easier during battles due to her training...while she certainly couldn't fight a digimon rookie level or above, she could evade most champion's attacks.

As for Takato and Guilmon, he honestly wasn't sure how he viewed them. He had come across them occasionally, and each time Takato would get this very awkward look upon his face...somewhere between wariness and awe, but would always welcome him happily. As for Guilmon, he greeted Naruto just like he greeted anyone else; like a child would. But something about Guilmon bugged Naruto...while he knew that Guilmon was naturally childish because of his age, he was hiding the part of him that wasn't...and Naruto did not understand why. He would have to confront the 'dinosaur' as Takato had loudly proclaimed he was later about the matter.

Then there was Henry and Terriermon. While Takato and Guilmon at least tried to help when a wild one appeared, Henry would still stand back and watch while the other two fought. However this did not serve to anger Naruto; for one Henry did not shout at them to stop, which was certainly an improvement, and each time he was there Naruto could see the conflict going on inside his head...it meant Henry was seriously considering his prior words...good. He had a feeling that the boy would come around soon, and looked forward to that day; they were all given digimon partners for a reason, and needed to be prepared for whatever trials lay ahead.

As for himself? Well, while he had his hands full training Renamon, he had made a veritable army of clones to expand his quarters. Technically, it wasn't really for living in; it was a training room...though room was quite the understatement. When he was done with it, the 'room' was the size of an indoor stadium, and was just as tall. It was located deep beneath his den, and was only accessible via his youki signature and a trapdoor which would reveal itself upon being fed his youki. While he had slept, he had worked many long nights with his father designing some seals for both his den and the underground training cavern. For his den, he had made a few simple seals and once large one. The simple ones consisted of a seal to the side of his pool which when youki was added or taken, would warm or cool the water respectively. The only other minor seal was one that acted as a drain for the pool; after waking up to find his water room flooded one day, he had decided such was necessary. Now, there was a hole drilled from said pool into the large cavern underneath, which had a pit the size of a small lake in it. When the water reached a certain level in the pool, the seal would activate and a small stone slab would slide to the size, revealing the hole that would channel the water into an alcove that was located at the top of the training cavern bored out of the side wall and around the size of a small house. From there the water flowed through an indentation in the floor of the alcove that served to channel the stream and fell a short distance to yet another alcove shaped like the first. This pattern repeated itself along the size of the cavern, winding around the cavern until there was about 75 feet left until the water reached the cavern's ground floor. At this point the stream indentation veered right off the edge of the alcove's side, where the water would form a small waterfall before falling into a massive basin-shaped lake bed. While it would take quite some time to fill up such a large underground basin, he had underestimated the amount it rained here. Then there was the main den seal, which acted as a giant youki battery. This connected to all the seals that were in the den and kept them powered, which included the newly installed genjutsu seal over the den entrance. These were all the seals he had on his den for the moment, so then there were two more seals that were put in his enormous training cavern. The first simply provided light; he did not have enough of the lamps to cover the cavern, but he had no need...the lamps were for decoration, not necessity. All he really had to do was set up a seal which converted his youki into light, then set many all around the cavern, which now glowed with the same soft blue ambiance of his den. The last seal was not only the most important, but also the most difficult. This one was an absorption seal whose purpose was to soak up any excess energy that was expended in the cavern, while at the same time repairing the cavern and keeping its structural integrity intact. If it had excess energy caused from training, it would siphon this into the main youki battery in his den...if it needed more energy to repair the cavern, it would do the opposite.

While his clones were constructing the enormous cavern and installing the seals, he himself was performing a very special task when he was not training Renamon; helping create her gift. The reason he had summoned the kitsune before he began training Renamon was to have it inform the armor smith that he was commissioning an additional armor set; one he would design himself and then send the schematics in for assembly. It had taken many sleepless nights for him to complete the design, but when he had finally finished it he had wore a Cheshire grin the whole next day, to the confusion of Renamon. For while the armor he designed for her was most certainly for protection, it also served a very special purpose, one he hoped to fulfill tonight; according to the armor smith it would be done by sometime this evening at the latest.

He was snapped out of his reverie when he first felt his clone disperse, and then received the clone's memories...including what made it disperse. At first he flinched in sympathy pain, before he gave off a smirk...one that would have made a grown man scream like a banshee had anyone seen it...smirking + muzzle + Kyuubi = frightening. _'_Oh ho what is this? ….Rena-chan plays dirty does she...remind me not to anger her anytime soon father._' _He heard the what sounded like the combination of a whimper and chuckle in his head, and completely agreed.

**'Yes...you managed to find quite the fiery companion my son. Now tell me, will you _finally_ get enact your plan tonight?' **

The impatience in the old fox was almost tangible, and served to greatly amuse Naruto...however he would humor his father. 'Yes father, if the armor smith true to his word, then I will be able to carry it out tonight.' He felt a great amount of contentment coming from his father and smiled...his father wasn't the only one feeling that way...though he himself was admittedly nearly shaking in anxiety over it as well. His quick conversation with his father over, Naruto turned to where he felt the clone disperse from and found a gasping Renamon kneeling on the ground. However, while she was most certainly exhausted, he could see the satisfied grin that was plastered on her muzzle. He quickly jumped down in front of her before speaking in a voice that just barely hinted amusement.

"Did you have a good spar with my clone Rena-chan?"

Renamon's grin quickly morphed into a complete smirk at this before she replied in a very smug tone. "I would say I did...and I made sure that he knew the consequences of annoying me."

Naruto gave off a chuckle at that before he responded, and this time his amusement was practically oozing out with his words. "Oh I know...but tell me Rena-chan...just what did the Hangslow brothers do to deserve such a cruel fate?"

At this Renamon grew quite confused...what was he talking about? "What are you talking about Naruto-kun? I didn't to anything to some Hangslow brothers..." Here she trailed off, for once she had said it her mind went over what she said...it didn't sound right. _'Hangslow brothers...wait. Hangs...low...' _However this was as far as her thought process went, for upon realizing what was said her train of thought derailed.

Naruto watched with untold amounts of amusement as Renamon's face first went to confusion, then contemplation, then realization...and then her muzzle screwed up in an attempt to hold in the laughter which was begging to be released. Finally she gave in to her body's demands, and collapsed into a shaking mass of fur on the forest floor, tears streaming down her muzzle as she nearly howled with laughter. Of course such things were quite contagious, and it was not long before Naruto could not hold it in any longer and joined her on the ground.

It was a good five minutes later that found both Naruto and Renamon lying on the ground staring up at the sky, both confident in Naruto's jutsu to keep them well hidden from the small chance of onlookers. It was quickly approaching sunset, and so Naruto deemed the training for today over while they lay, and soon found themselves comfortably resting against one another just staring at the sky as the blue in it slowly shifted into hues of yellow, orange, and red. As the sun began its final descent under the horizon and the moon resumed its nightly vigilance, Naruto felt a tug from his clan and smiled...it was ready. And so, Naruto slowly sat up, smiling as he heard the disappointed groan from behind him...if all went well, she would not be acting that way for long.

"Lets go back to the den to wash up and eat. After we're done with that..." He trailed off, loving how her curiosity practically oozed from her at his pause. "...I have a surprise for you." Here he once more let off a chuckle at the shocked happiness that showed on her muzzle.

Renamon was having a hard time restraining herself from bouncing on her paws...she would not normally act anywhere near this open...but around Naruto, and especially when they were alone, she just could not help it...and he had a surprise!

Naruto was greatly amused at the pace which they bathed and ate...even though the deer was already long dead, he still felt sorry for it due to the ferocity with which Renamon and he devoured it at her insistence. As for the wash...he wasn't sure if it deserved such a name...he didn't think more than a minute was spend in the pool before he was nearly dragged out. Now, here he stood in the entrance room with Renamon in front of him with a slight bounce to her posture. After a minute of standing there in amusement, Naruto finally decided he had tormented her long enough and spoke up.

"Alright alright...so I'm guessing you must really want to know what the surprise is, huh?" At the look of near insanity that crossed her visage, he quickly spoke once more trying to diffuse the approaching explosion. "Right! Right, I'll get straight to it then...stand back a little bit, Rena-chan." After she did so, Naruto when through a few handsigns before nicking one of his digits with a fang and slamming both his forepaws onto the ground, which proceeded to be enveloped in smoke.

When the smoke cleared, Renamon was treated to the view of a five-tailed pitch black kitsune in hybrid form facing Naruto. He held a large parcel of some sort, but she had no clue as to what was inside it. As she was looking at the new arrival, Naruto spoke up.

"It is good to see you again Takumi, I see you have completed what I have asked of you..." He took a moment to quickly peer inside the parcel, his eyes quickly scanning something within and appearing satisfied. "...and with more attention to detail than even you are renowned for...you have honored yourself and your family greatly this day Takumi, and will be rewarded accordingly."

The newly named Takumi seemed to damn near have an epileptic fit at the praise just lathered upon him, and she could understand why...from what she understood, Naruto was basically the leader of leaders amongs not only his people but all the beast races...he was basically their world leader, and he just personally praised someone. Finally, the black kitsune managed to find his composure and straightened up before giving a low bow to Naruto and responding.

"Arigato Kyuubi-sama! Your praise is more than enough payment for my services! As you have requested, I have finished your commission, and I must say that aside from the work I have done for you, it is one of, if not my greatest work yet! Speaking of which, is this the vixen for whom it was made for?" As he finished, Takumi turned around and looked at Renamon with a warm smile on his muzzle, and she smiled back politely. He had numerous scars upon his visage, with one nearly claiming an eye...but while he was visually intimidating, his voice belied a gentleness that contradicted his visage.

Naruto nearly slapped himself as his forgetfulness, but quickly recovered. "Ah! Where are my manners! Here, let me introduce you to one another. Renamon, this is Takumi, the Kitsune Court's Royal Armor Smith. Takumi, this is Renamon, my apprentice and close companion." As they exchanged pleasantries, Takumi discreetly handed off the parcel to Naruto with one of his tails, and Naruto hid it within his own tails just as discreetly. Unfortunately, it seemed that while Takumi was enjoying this, he had things to do.

"Please forgive my timing Kyuubi-sama, but although I do greatly enjoy conversing with you both, I still have many orders that need to be finished before the night is through, so with your permission, I must unfortunately go."

Naruto sighed, but it was understandable...Takumi's expertise was vital to maintaining a constant supply of high-quality equipment to their forces, and was almost constantly busy as a result. "Though unfortunate it may be, I understand your obligations and respect the fervor with which you carry out your duties. I do have one request before you go though: please inform Asani that I would like a report on the border situation with the Tanuki Clan; the sooner we can come to an agreement on the precious ore deposits located along our borders, the sooner we can both prosper from its resources." Takumi once more gave a deep bow to Naruto as well as accepting the request, before he turned to Renamon and politely gave his leave to her as well, before disappearing in a plume of smoke.

While Naruto was trying to figure out how to present the gift to Renamon, she herself was still trying to get over what just happened. While she knew from Naruto's memories that he was the leader of the Kitsune Clan as well as the Tailed Beasts...it was one thing to be told such, and another thing entirely to be shown it. When Takumi had appeared, Naruto had completely shifted gears from his lively, humorous self he let her see when they were alone, to what she could only describe as a leader. The way he addressed Takumi with respect, yet at the same time showing superiority...the way his posture became picture perfect, his tails fanned out and his muzzle set...it all screamed alpha to her, and greatly impressed her. Even more so, he proved he was no amateur at governing by the way he requested information on an apparent border dispute; showing concern for not only his own clan, but also for the clans he ruled over as the leader of the Tailed Beasts. However, she soon ended her contemplations when she saw him reveal the very same package Takumi had carried, his visage showing a great deal of not only anticipation, but apprehension.

Naruto pulled out the parcel and made sure Renamon had seen it before he finally unleashed his plan. "Rena-chan...as you know, you have come very far from the time I began training you after your near-death experience. The rate at which you absorbed information and the fervor with which you pushed yourself to succeed impressed both me and my father, and it still does impress us. You have achieved in months what others have barely managed to achieve in years. So, it is with a great deal of pride that I present to you your very own custom armor, made from the same materials as mine, designed by me, and just as strong as my own." With this, he opened the parcel and took the armor out before he began a ritual of the Kitsune Clan. When a master deemed an apprentice ready for the next step...that is, to become a journeyman at whatever field it may be, the master would gift the apprentice with their very own armor, and then proceed to don their apprentice with the armor; showing their respect for their apprentice's achievement in doing so. Lucky for Naruto, Renamon was shocked enough to barely even notice what he was doing, still trying to wrap her mind around the fact that he had not only gifted him with her very own armor, but had designed the armor himself...so _that _was why he looked so tired for that one week!

When she finally came out of her own thoughts, she noticed that Naruto was just standing in front of her with a beaming smile while looking her over critically. It was then that she noticed the additional weight that was on her form. Smiling, Naruto led her to the pool, where she peered down at her reflection...and nearly fell back in surprise.

Her armor was almost the exact opposite of his in every way...and yet when they both stood there in their armor, the effect was stunning. Where his was spiky and jagged, hers was smooth and sleek. Her helmet was the same silver with ebony veins as his own (the metal is the same), but the similarities ended there. While his was practically a skull cap with cloth that could be fashioned into a mask, hers was nearly a full helm. It encompassed her entire skull, the back of the helmet stopping just where her skull curved inwards towards the neck. On the sides, the helm covered her entire temple, and extended down to the bottom of her jaw where it tapered off into a smooth curved point. In front, the helm extended down her muzzle to the tip of her nose, where in once more tapered off into a smooth point. Like Naruto's, her helm's area for her ears was protected with a metal surrounding as well. The entire helm was smooth with no jagged point in sight, and engraved upon its entire smooth surface was intricate swirls and flowing lines, almost appearing as if water was flowing over it.

Her shoulder pauldrons and chestpiece were actually similar in design, very smooth with no jagged edges. Where Naruto's pauldrons and chest-piece were attached separately, hers were attached with two large metal rings; one on the front and one on the back for each pauldron. The pauldrons themselves were very simple, yet elegant in design; they were merely two large curved metal plates that fit on the outsides of her shoulders, leaving room for her own shoulder spikes. The rings that connected the armor were attached to a purple cloth of the same material Naruto's clothes were made out of; the exact same purple color as her gloves. This cloth was attached to the underside of both pauldrons, and was actually part of the chest-piece. While Naruto's chest-piece was completely metal, Renamon's was a sturdy chain-mail covered in the violet cloth that connected to the pauldrons. This cloth/chain-mail combination covered her entire upper half until it just passed her waist, where it split into two pieces that hung from her front and backside, nearly reaching her knees. Grafted upon the middle of her chest-piece was the yin-yang symbol, proudly showing itself for all to see. Her gauntlets were almost identical to her gloves, the only difference being that the forearm was covered in the metal, which was once more engraved with smooth lines.

Her greaves did not have any metal plates upon them at all; they were simply chain-mail covered in the violet cloth once more, and provided ample room for maneuverability. As for boots, there were none; Renamon was used to maneuvering barefooted, and getting used to boots would be a hindrance anyways. (Note: Credit for the idea of Renamon having armor goes to Magician Girl Mirani. I may have come up with the armor design, but she is the one who had the original idea, thanks!)

As she finished her inspection, she could not help but notice just how well their armors complimented each-other. His was harsh, jagged, and unforgiving, with his pitch-black cloth accentuating such. Hers was gentle, smooth, and soothing, with her royal purple cloth showing nobility. _'Yin and Yang...he designed my armor not only with it emblazoned upon the chest, but also to symbolize the symbol itself when we are together...'_ The thought that he had put so much effort into this caused her to shed a tear in happiness..she had made the right choice when she chose to try a relationship with him out.

Naruto, upon seeing the tear and understanding the reasons behind it, smiled gently and brought up a claw from behind to gently wipe it away, and received a smile in response.

After she had composed herself, she turned around and gave Naruto a heartfelt hug, making sure he knew how much she appreciated this. Upon breaking from the hug, she spoke up to him, her voice thick with emotion.

"Naruto...I don't know what to say...I guess all I can really say is...thank you; I will cherish this for eternity."

Naruto smiled at her, but on the inside he was sweating bullets...it was now or never. "You are very welcome Rena-chan...but I had another purpose for giving you this armor other than honoring you as my apprentice." Seeing that he now had her undivided attention, he decided to go all in.

"Now, please to not interrupt me until I am finished Rena-chan, else I fear I will not have the strength to finish. As I have stated before, you have been learning and achieving at a rate that left me in a state of awe...but that is not all I am left in awe of. For the last...what has it been, nearly a half-year? Anyways, ever since we first met I have held a fondness for you...even when I first saw you, though I only attributed it to physical attraction at the time. As we spent more and more time together, that feeling grew and grew in me, and it left me frustrated and confused. As you very well know, the same night that frustration came to a boiling point I also found out that your harbored these same feelings towards me, and gave them a name: love. It was then that we decided to go ahead and see if a relationship could work out, and I admit that even then I was not absolutely positive that what I felt towards you was love. However, over the time we have spent together after that, I have found that the feeling did not ebb and die like I had originally thought...instead it has been growing even faster than before, and I know for a fact now that what I feel is complete and genuine love for you. And this all ties back to this gift I have given you. Renamon, look on the inside of your armor's collar; what do you see?" His voice was nary a whisper at the end, yet it carried a weight that Atlas would have shuddered at.

As for Renamon, her eyes kept growing wider and wider as Naruto literally poured out his feelings to her...she had a nagging feeling of what was happening, but did not want to jump to any conclusions. When he asked her his last question, she slowly lifted up the chain-mail and cloth and peered at the inside of the collar. However, when her eyes came to rest upon the symbol that resided there, she promptly froze in place. For there, sitting innocently upon the inside of her collar was the yin-yang symbol once more...but with one very important change. Surrounding the yin-yang were nine red fox tails, each touching the last with their tip. Looking up, she barely managed to stutter out her next words. "I-i-is this...is this w-what I think it i-is?"

His next words had more of an impact than a runaway bus. "It depends on what you think it is...but I'll just come out and say it." Here he moved right up to her and looked right in her eyes with such an intensity it would have cowed even the mightiest of titans. "Renamon...will you be my mate?"

There it was. What she had never imagined ever happening...happened. What she had spent weeks agonizing over when he thought her asleep was finally resolved...and he wanted her, and only her. Tears of joy cascaded down her muzzle as his words finally sunk in. _'He wants me to be his mate...me! What I had feared would never come true is staring me in the face...and I haven't said anything! Speak dammit! _Finally Renamon found her voice, while simultaneously regaining control of her motor functions.

Meanwhile, Naruto was staring at her eyes which were unnervingly blank with a good amount of worry. _'Shit! I think I broke her mind! Dammit I should have known this was too much to soon, me and my damn impatien-' _"Ack!" And suddenly found himself on the ground of his den with a _very_ expressive Renamon tackling him. It took a moment for him to shake the fog from the impact, but once he did, a massive smile stretched across his muzzle as he heard her continuous shouts of "YES!".

In Naruto's head, Kyuubi was desperately trying to keep his composure. **_'You are the Kyuubi-no-kitsune, ex leader of the Tailed Beasts, you do not cry!' _**He repeated this like a mantra in his own head, but seeing Naruto being tackled and Renamon's acceptance...a small sniffle was heard. Then another...followed by a barely audible hiccup. Needless to say, it wasn't long before the great and powerful Kyuubi-no-kitsune was acting like any parent upon seeing their child growing up; that is...he was a blubbering mess.

As for Naruto, he was somewhere on cloud nine and didn't plan on coming down anytime soon...however when his muzzle was suddenly and viciously attached, he was abruptly thrown back down to reality and just as quickly found himself having a fierce tongue war with Renamon. After a moment both had to break away to breath, and once more Naruto found himself under attack...but this time it was his body, not his mouth that was under siege. He would have been stunned at the forwardness that Renamon was showing...if his brain could process anything at that moment. But because it could not, the next time Naruto's brain functions kicked back on was when he felt his body landing on a bed of furs after a momentary flight...without his armor. Before he could even twitch, he felt another body barrel into his and sent them both sprawling out on the bed of furs. Getting tired of feeling like a ragdoll, Naruto propped himself onto his elbows and looked at where he knew Renamon was...and froze, noticing a few very vital facts. For one, she was bare of any clothing just like himself. Secondly, she was on all fours with her front paws crouched...she looked like she was about to barrel into him once more. And the last fact, the one that by far mattered the most...he had the most lustful gaze he had ever seen plastered onto her muzzle, and obviously had only one goal in mind.

All of these combined pointed to one very clear situation...and he had no complaints. In fact, he simply remained on his elbows and gave her a cocky smirk before he let out a deep growl. Just as he thought, that was all it took for her to literally launch herself at him with a growl of her own.

The next morning, the citizens that lived around Shinjuki Park could be found gossiping about how a pack of canines must have been living in the park...the pack's howling had damn near kept them up the entire night!

**The next morning**

When Naruto awoke, it was to the sound of flowing water. _'Hmm...must be raining...good, the sooner the lake begins filling the better. Still...it could be the apocalypse for all I care right now, I'm too happy to care...she said yes! Not to mention what happened afterwords...I had no clue that she could bend that way, not that I'm complaining any.' _He did not move from his position with Renamon spooned against his form, he would wait for her to wake up on her own. In the meantime, he simply laid there stroking the fur on her chest with his claws.

Ironically, it was his gentle stroking that woke Renamon up, though it certainly wasn't a bad thing. _'Mmm? What is that?' _Cracking one eye open, she looked down at her chest to see a very familiar red paw stroking her chest fur, and let a serene smile creep across her muzzle. _'Ahh that's right, Naruto...my MATE...I can't believe I can actually say that truthfully, but I won't complain, he's everything I want, and now I have him.'_ With those thoughts finished, she snuggled deeper into Naruto's chest and belly fur, not wanting to give this up just yet.

Naruto smiled as he observed her snuggle deeper into him. He already knew she had been awake for a few minutes from her breathing, but since she didn't make any move to get up it was apparent she wanted to stay this way a bit longer, and he was fine with that. He himself had no desire to greet the day just yet...in a few more minutes possibly.

In reality, it took them almost an hour to finally crawl out of the furs due to a sudden make-out session, but here they now stood, both clad in their armor and ready to greet the day. Rika was currently at school, so they could not visit her just yet, and they weren't all that interested in interacting with the other tamers and their partners today. So, in Naruto's mind that left just training unless they wanted to celebrate their status more, but they had barely slept due to their late night 'celebrations' so the options were limited. Naruto turned to Renamon and was about to announce the plan for today, but his words died on his lips as he saw the worried frown on Renamon's muzzle. Wondering what was wrong, he spoke up.

"What is it Rena-chan, what's wrong?" Her frown did not disappear as she responded back to him, and this just served to further worry him.

"I'm not sure...but Rika is feeling very nervous for some reason, and it has nothing to do with school...I can feel her nervousness through our bond as tamer and digimon...something is wrong."

Naruto didn't need to be told anything more, if Renamon was worried about Rika, then they would check it out. Besides, he was beginning to view her as a little sister, and the thought of anything happening to her was...unpleasant.

"Then let's make haste Rena-chan, the sooner we see what is going on, the sooner we can confirm she's ok, grab on." He changed back into his human form and reattached his mask just as she latched onto his shoulders. Without a moment's pause, both Naruto and Renamon disappeared in a swirl of flames.

~~~Scene Change~~~

-(Rika's School)-

Upon arriving in the shelter of a tree, Naruto quickly cast a camouflage jutsu over them both before he followed Renamon to where she felt Rika's energy signature at. When they found her, they were both somewhat surprised to find her just sitting in her classroom with the other children. However, both clearly saw the worry in her eyes as she fidgeted in her seat. What was confusing about the situation was that both of them could not sense any threat nearby, yet something was obviously bothering her a great deal. They could not confront her about it without alerting the other humans of their presence, and thus they were forced to simply keep a vigil over her...both Renamon and Naruto were disturbed by the near-panic they could see.

As the day wore on and the end of school was fast approaching, Naruto and Renamon trailed Rika a ways back as she walked to her last class of the day...they were beginning to think that nothing was wrong, for both had sensed nothing the entire day.

Rika was walking down a flight of stairs when Naruto suddenly became very alert, making Renamon take a stance of her own; she knew Naruto could sense energy signatures far better than she could, and by the way his eyes were darting all over the place, he had found their quarry but had been unable to pinpoint its location.

Naruto was now officially bothered; he had quickly picked up on the presence of what felt like a digimon of some sort, but he wasn't able to pinpoint its location, only a general area; such a thing had never happened to him before. 'Father! You have any ideas as to why I can't pinpoint this digimon?'

Inside his mindscape, Kyuubi was frantically wracking his brain for any possible answer. Finally, a possible solution came when he remembered what they were dealing with; digital energy. **'I can only ****give an educated guess son, but you remember learning about electronics from your clones when we first arrived here, right?'**

'Hai, but I don't really see what that has to do with our current situation.' The frustration in Naruto's voice was palpable and Kyuubi understood perfectly...feeling helpless in a situation was not fun.

**'Bear with me for a second son. Now remember, digimon have digital energy right? And when they come over from their world, they come through as data? If I remember correctly, if there is something emitting a frequency that is close to or identical to a digimon's frequency while in transit, it could possibly cause the digimon's signal to waver. My theory is that in the case of stronger than normal digimon they could possibly use this to their advantage, making sure their exact location was unknown until it was too late.'**

Naruto barely restrained himself from letting loose a torrent of curses...his father's theory made sense, and he had a good idea of just who may be trying to mess with a digimon's signal. _'Yamaki...damn that man to hell! He claims he does this to destroy the incoming wild ones, and yet whatever he is doing is helping them instead! He had better sleep with one eye open if I ever find him again.' _Naruto quickly send his agreement to his father; he had to pay close attention to his surroundings. _'Where are you...come on out...damn this is bad, whatever digimon this is, its playing the game very carefu-THERE! SHIT!' _Naruto spun around so fast his body seemed to blur, before he launched himself at Rika...but by then it was too late, whatever digimon it was had planned this perfectly. The last thing he saw of Rika was her being dragged into some kind of portal by long, spindly bluish-white hands. Just as the portal closed, his form appeared where it had just been. "DAMMIT! AUUGH!" With his booming roar of rage he followed through by punching the floor, creating a decently sized crater. But Naruto quickly regained control of his emotions; he had a tamer to save, and he needed both him and Renamon to have clear minds in order to achieve this. It was with a barely reigned in temper that he took hold of a still-in-shock Renamon and flashed back into his den...they needed to both be at top awareness to find Rika the fastest.

~~~Scene Change~~~

-(Abandoned Building)-

When Rika regained consciousness from her abduction, the very first thing that crossed her mind was: COLD! Opening her eyes, she saw that she was in some run down looking building...which was covered in ice. This only served to unnerve her even more, mostly because she had the feeling that something or someone was watching her all day...and it got cold every time the feeling intensified. Turning in a circle to look around, she nearly screamed as she found what could only be described as a white demon standing before her. However, she wasn't about to let this monster know he had managed to unnerve her, and so she quickly regained her courage...which was quickly followed by anger. "Who are you, and what am I doing here? Why did you kidnap me?"

What she got in response was a chilling chuckle from the creature before her, before it spoke up. "Ah! Such cold, cruel words! Indeed you are a person after my own ice cold heart. But where are my manners! Allow me to introduce myself, I am IceDevimon...your new partner.

While she was only mildly surprised to find out he was a digimon, his last words made her bristle in anger. _'How dare he! He just thinks he can waltz right in and take Renamon's place does he?'_ Her eyes gained a glint that only served to make the digimon before her smirk wider, but she didn't care. "What do you mean, my new partner? I chose Renamon, and I will not simply replace her like some discarded accessory!"

The zeal with which Rika spoke about Renamon made a IceDevimon frown slightly...how odd, last he had checked she was just as cold as he himself. No matter, once the problematic digimon was eliminated she would return to her cold nature, and he would have the means to obtain untold amounts of power through the bond of tamer and digimon. But for now, he might as well make her aware of his prowess; after all, it would not do for her to think of him as unworthy.

"Oh come now, just a second ago you were as cold as the ice that surrounds us! Oh well, it will be back one way or another...but for now let me show you just why I am worthy of being your partner!"

As IceDevimon finished, the ceiling which had been bathed in shadows before seemed to light up, and Rika bore witness to what she could only describe as a horrow show. For attached to the ceiling were hundreds of digimon encased in tombs of ice...quite a few were champions, and she even spotted a few ultimates within the mix. Ever single one of them had looks of terror etched onto their faces, each telling a story of just how they came to meet their end. If he had managed to defeat all of these digimon on his own...then she was in trouble.

"Beautiful isn't it? I have to admit, some of these digimon were very hard to defeat, especially that WereGarurumon...but I came out on top nonetheless. With me at your side Rika, this is but the beginning of what can be accomplished!" With his proclamation, IceDevimon proceeded to laugh long and hard, his icy demeanor showing through in the laugh.

As IceDevimon continued to laugh, Rika could only watch him warily and hope that someone would find her soon. _'Renamon, Naruto...where are you guys?'_

~~~Scene Change~~~

The aforementioned pair were at this very moment heading towards the abandoned building, though for them they were just heading towards where they sensed her faint signature. It had taken a few minutes and many reassurances to calm Renamon down enough once she snapped out of her shock, but once he made her realize that calming down would help find Rika faster, she put the best of monks to shame with the calm she quickly achieved. It was about thirty minutes after that they finally found the faint traces of her signature in an area on the outskirts of the main city and so here they were, just now arriving in front of the entrance with their energy well masked.

Naruto quickly scanned their the building before him, completely focused on retrieving Rika. It was due to this that he did not sense the four energy signatures approaching from behind. Just before he was about to give the massive metal wall a brand new door, a voice rang out from behind him and Renamon.

"Hey! Hold up a second!"

Silently berating himself for being so unobservant, Naruto turned around and beheld the sight of Takato, Guilmon, Henry, and Terriermon, three of which were out of breath, while the last was perfectly fine perched upon Henry's head. He and Renamon glanced at each-other, silently communicating their thoughts...both seemed to be thinking the same thing.

Turning around once more, Naruto spoke up as he prepared to forcefully enter the building once more. "We do not have time to converse Henry-san, Rika has been captured by a wild digimon and we need to retrieve her." Once more he pulled back his left gauntlet, and once more he paused as this time the desperation in Henry's voice made him pause.

"Wait! Just wait! Let me talk for just a second alright?"

Naruto turned his head so just one eye was peering intensely through the shadows at Henry before he spoke, his words sharp and to the point. "Then speak. Quickly."

Henry seemed to gather himself before he spoke up once more. "Thank you. Now, me and Takato here originally picked up a wild one's signal coming from this area and decided to check it out, and happened to spot one another on the way here. I've taken a lot of time to think over what you've said...about fighting to protect my family...and you're right. I realize now that I was given Terriermon for a reason, and that even though I dislike fighting...running away won't solve anything, so I've come here with the intention to fight a wild one, and so had Takato. After what I saw you do that night in the parking garage, I know you can probably handle whatever we may run into in there...but please, let us do this. Like you said, we were given our digimon for a reason, and the best way to prepare ourselves for upcoming fights is though experience...experience which we will not gain if you do the fighting for us. That being said, give us a chance to prove ourselves tonight, and let us fight as a team."

Everything was silent for a moment as Naruto contemplated what Henry had told him. To be honest he could not be more pleased with how things had turned out; Henry had taken his words to heart, and was now determined to fight to protect those he loved. And Henry was right; he could not fight their battles for them, they needed to learn how to fight their own battles. So, it was with a curt nod that Naruto replied with a voice just barely hinting approval.

"Very well Henry-san, I will let you all battle. However; Renamon, Guilmon, Terriermon, do not tire yourselves out by wasting energy trying to break through these walls to get to Rika...let me do that. Now, if you will all stand back and get ready; I can sense two presences on the other side of this fortified wall and far to the side of us...when I make an entrance you three be ready to ambush whatever digimon we may encounter." When he finished, Naruto turned back to the wall as they all backed up, everyone except Renamon wondering what he was going to do...while she had a decent idea. As his youki formed into a plasma kitsune head around his gauntlet, he ignored the shocked gasps behind him and instead threw his fist towards the wall with a cry of **"Plasmatic Blitz!"**...while it would take some getting used to, Renamon made a good point when she suggested the name and the strategy of calling out the attack. By doing so, his enemies would assume he had to call out the attack before using it, and would therefore be caught off guard when he did not. As soon as his plasma-covered gauntlet impacted the wall, everything seemed to stand still before a massive explosion rocked said wall, huge chunks of metal flying into the building as the rapid thermal expansion caused by such an intense heat made the wall shatter under its own pressure.

Back inside with IceDevimon and Rika, the demonic digimon watched with a mixture of intrigue and horror as the massive metal wall seemed to simple explode inwards. Looking closer, his eyes widened as he realized that whatever had caused the explosion had _melted_ the metal around the impact zone as globs of molten metal dripped from the gaping hole. At this point he had been expecting something along the lines of an ultimate level digimon or higher to step though...so he was quite surprised when what appeared to be a humanoid figure garbed in cruel looking metallic armor stepped through silently before looking in his direction...or Rika's direction. He did not miss the relieved smile that spread across Rika's face as she saw who it was.

_'So, it would seem that she has more allies than I had previously thought, as that is certainly not Renamon...this may be a problem. If it was indeed he who caused such damage to that wall, I need to be very careful in avoiding whatever attack that was.' _Before he could ponder any further on this new appearance, he was caught off guard as three attacks shot through the still-clearing smoke around the hole.

"**Bunny Blast!" "Pyrosphere!" "Diamond Storm!"** The three attacks scored a direct hit on the surprised IceDevimon, their combined force sending him careening into a ice-covered wall, where upon impact he and the ice collapsed in a large heap.

Through the door, Renamon, Guilmon, and Terriermon stepped through, closely followed by Takato and Henry. As Renamon caught sight of Rika, she ran towards her and Rika did likewise, meeting halfway in a hug. Naruto smiled at the scene, internally glad that Rika was alright, but his happiness was soon replaced by his battle mask once more as the ice pile that IceDevimon was under exploded, sending shards of ice everywhere.

"Now that was a cheap-shot...just who are you all? I recognize the fox as Renamon, but you others I don't know." He was genuinely curious...where did all these people and digimon come from?

It was Takato that decided to step up, and spoke with a boldness that contradicted the slight shaking of his knees. "We're the tamers! I'm Takato, and this here's Henry, with our partners Guilmon and Terriermon! You made a big mistake kidnapping Rika like that!"

IceDevimon listened halfheartedly to the brat as he spoke...so these were the legendary tamers huh...he wasn't impressed. The only one he was truly curious about was the one he perceived as the greatest threat here...and the only one who was not introduced.

As if reading IceDevimon's mind, Naruto spoke up, his voice back to its chilling monotone. "You need not know my name, digimon. This fight is between you and the tamers; I am merely a spectator in this conflict tonight."

_'How very interesting..' _IceDevimon thought. _'He refers to me as if he was not a digimon himself, yet that attack was far beyond the capabilities of any human...it does not matter, if they choose to underestimate me then by all means let them do so.' _His conclusions reached, IceDevimon spoke up once more.

"And what exactly do you expect three rookie level digimon to do to me? As you can see, I have defeated ultimates...what chance do three mere rookies have in besting me?"

At the digimon's response, Naruto merely leveled a stead gaze at the demon-like digimon before speaking one last time. "You'll never know if you don't fight them." And with that Naruto stepped back, signaling to the others that the time to fight had begun.

Almost immediately the same three attacks as before were launched at IceDevimon, but this time he was prepared, and deftly evaded the attacks with ease before launching one of his own with a cry of **"Avalanche Claw!"**, which threw a barrage of ice shards at Guilmon whom was sent skidding back as he took the hit.

As the fight raged on with the three rookie digimon throwing everything they had at IceDevimon, Naruto simply sat back and observed. While he was mainly doing this to honor Henry's request, he had another very good reason as well; this was a perfect time to see how they worked as a team...and he sighed as he realized the work that was ahead of him. Many times their attacks would come close to hitting an ally, causing said ally to momentarily lose their focus which IceDevimon took advantage of each time. Out of the three, Renamon was holding up the best as he expected...but even she was being outclassed by this champion, even with her gravity seal released. It really did not surprise Naruto...years of fighting experienced shinobi has honed his ability to read others to a fine point, and he could tell that while the digimon before them was a champion, his strength and experience in battle practically made him a low to mid ultimate level...Renamon simply wasn't ready to take on that kind of power and experience at rookie level yet.

Renamon silently cursed as IceDevimon's **Tundra Freeze**scored a direct hit on Guilmon, turning said encasing said digimon in a block of ice. Glancing over to her left, she saw that Terriermon wasn't much better; his stubby legs and short stature made it difficult for him to avoid attacks, and so was looking quite beaten at this point. She herself wasn't feeling too good at the moment...while she was able to avoid his attacks, he was just as able to avoid hers. When she moved in for close-combat, his superior speed would cause her to quickly retreat...and his hits _hurt_. As she dodged yet another **Avalanche Claw**, she was taken by surprise as IceDevimon used his attack as a diversion to get behind her with his speed, and thus she was unable to dodge when he yelled out **"Frozen Claw!"**. She yelled out in pain as his attack sent her plummeting towards the ground, where she impacted with a crash against the ice.

IceDevimon landed on the ground not too far from the downed Renamon, feeling quite proud of himself. While taking out three rookie level digimon typically would be nothing to brag about, these were three _tamer_ rookie digimon...and that Renamon was very good...her speed was near his own! Nonetheless, he had emerged the clear victor in this little scuffle; it was time to claim his prize.

"Quite the noble fight you three put up against me...how amusing. Though you caught me unawares with your first combined attack, you should have realized that trying to take me on is foolishness." Turning around to face Rika, he spoke up once more. "Behold my power Rika! With me as your partner there is nothing you cannot do, embrace that icy heart that I know resides within you!"

As Rika listened to IceDevimon, she admitted that not too long ago she would have been _very_ tempted by his offer; she knew very well that he was strong. However...that was then and this is now; she had learned her lesson well from Naruto, and she refused to abandon Renamon like that. While Renamon was not as strong as IceDevimon, she was also still a rookie...and she had been able to see that her training with Naruto was paying off. The last and most important fact was the simple fact that she did not want to lose her growing relationship with Renamon; she was her very first true friend and she desperately wanted to keep it that way...not to mention she knew very well that if she lost Renamon she lost Naruto as well, whom she was starting to see as a protector of sorts...almost like an older brother. So it was with these things in mind that she responded, her famous scowl firmly in place.

"Don't delude yourself! You may be stronger than her now, but she's still a rookie, while you're a champion! And besides, contrary to what you keep trying to convince me, I have emotions and enjoy having Renamon around as a _friend_, I highly doubt I'd be able to say the same about you."

Her response brought a scowl onto IceDevimon's face. _'What is this? Where is that cold child I had observed on many nights, what has happened to her?'_ As he went over what she said, he realized that both his problems and his solution lied with Renamon. _'The girl is attached to Renamon is she? Then I will simply cut that bond; she may hate me for it but that is good...we can use that hate to bring back her icy persona, and together we will be unstoppable!'_

"So that is your answer? Very well, I see I have no choice in this matter." The tamers relaxed slightly at this, thinking that just maybe he would take the hint and leave. "If you will not choose me by choice...you will choose me simply because I will be your only option! **"Avalanche Claw!"**" As he finished, he turned towards Renamon who was struggling to get up and launched his attack...she would not be able to dodge it at this range.

Naruto prepared himself to intercept the attack, but paused when he noticed two things. One, the sheer look of determination on Renamon's face; one that stood tall in the face of overwhelming opposition. Secondly was the small fact that Rika's d-power was lighting up like a beacon. As he noticed this last fact he smiled; he had a good idea of what was about to happen.

As the storm of ice shards rushed towards her, Renamon was fighting will all her might to get up. _'Move dammit! It can't end like this, not now, not here! I've finally managed to become Rika's friend...her very first friend, and on top of that, I've met my mate! NO! I refuse to die here, I will survive this, I WILL protect that which is precious to me!' _Unbeknownst to Renamon, while she was having her mental rant a brilliant white light surrounded her, getting brighter as her resolve grew. Likewise, as Rika watched in horror as the attack approached Renamon, she was desperate for something, _anything_ to save Renamon...and something heard her pleas.

Just as the attack was about to impact, Renamon felt indescribable power wash over her, whispering enticing promises to her. She did not resist; right now she would accept anything to protect what she considered precious. As the light was seemingly absorbed into her, her body lifted slightly off the ground and a very familiar synthetic female voice was heard coming from Rika's d-power.

DIGIVOLUTION

As with Terriermon's digivolution, Renamon worked in tandem with the device, calling out, "Renamon digivolve to..." and just as before, Renamon's fur seemed to simply peel off until she was naught but a digital wireframe, which the attack simply flew through. As everyone watched, the frame warped and stretched into a larger, quadrupedal form, and Naruto's eyes bugged out when he noticed the frame had what appeared to be _nine_ tails on it. As the frame finished distorting, the skin and fur seemed to weave itself back onto her as well as the armor she wore as Renamon...it would seem that it being on her during a digivolution caused it to become incorporated as part of herself. When all was done, she gave off a great roar before proclaiming her new form "...Kyuubimon!"

At her proclamation Naruto couldn't help it, his jaw dropped. 'No freaking way...father, are you seeing what I'm seeing?' Judging by the spluttering he could hear, he assumed so...and sure enough.

**'Yes...but I can't say I quite believe what I'm seeing...she looks like us in true form! Obviously without our vicious facial markings or fearsome visage...but besides that, she could easily pull of being a yellow, mini version of you! Sure there are differences, such as her muzzle being more triangular and her tails quite are bit shorter than your own..but still! And to top it all off, her name in this form is _Kyuubi_mon, practically proclaiming that yes, she is somehow...in some way based off of you, just female.' **

Naruto could only nod as his father's conclusions in agreement, still trying to get over the sheer similarities that he shared with Kyuubimon.

Back with the newly proclaimed Kyuubimon, she was euphoric at the moment. _'This power! This is what I need to protect that which I deem precious! Though I won't be able to use The Puppetmaster style in this form, I can still feel that my physical training has passed onto this form as well...and it seems that my gift has as well...thank you Naruto-kun'_ The quickly took a moment to look over her reflection in the ice, and what she saw pleased her. Physically, she resembled a very large, nine-tailed fox with a massive white mane of hair, and flames on her paws and the tips of her tails...the irony was not lost on her. On her forehead and on where her legs met her body, the yin-yang symbol proudly showed itself for all to see. Her armor had changed accordingly; while the helmet had not changed in the least, the rest now draped across her back and wrapped around her underside in a snug, yet comfortable fit. It was now all chain-mail with the royal purple fabric over it, yet it did not hide her form any; it was almost like a second skin. The armor only barely extended down her legs; stopping just before it covered the yin-yang symbols on them. Her inspection done, she turned her head towards IceDevimon and smiled a very eager smile, which caused him to step back.

Aforementioned digimon was meanwhile desperately trying to deny what he was seeing. _'She digivolved? Impossible, how did she accomplish that here, in the human world?' _Glancing behind him and seeing the wide grin on Rika's face combined with the now just faintly glowing d-power, the answer became all to clear to him._ 'That device! So this is the legendary power of the tamers at work...I will have that power!' _He was cut off from his inner monologue as he heard a shout of **"Fox Tail Inferno!"** He had just enough time to whip around before he was slammed by nine blue fireballs, causing him to yell out in pain as he was thrown painfully into a wall.

Kyuubimon waited to see if her direct attack had finished him, but remained alert...she knew that he would take any chance he was given. When he emerged from the ice, she allowed a small smirk to work its way onto her muzzle...he was pissed...good. If she kept him enraged, he would be far easier to beat because he would not think things through; once more she silently thanked Naruto for his teachings on warfare, and how psychological warfare could be what decided the outcome of a fight. With this in mind she spoke up, hoping to rile him up further.

"Now what's the matter? Don't tell me just one attack was enough to hurt you so much after all your bragging? I would have thought the 'all-powerful IceDevimon' could take more...seems I was wrong." Just as she hoped, her tactic worked. IceDevimon's face twisted into an ugly sneer of hatred and his eyes seemed to glow red as he responded in a voice filled with rage.

"Silence you wench! You just caught me by surprise once again, you will not do such another time!" With that he started his barrage, launching everything he could at her. Ice shards rained down upon the area, jagged claw marks littered the floor and streaks of ice lined the floor from his frigid gaze...yet Kyuubimon seemed to just nimbly avoid all his attacks...and it only served to enrage him further.

As for Kyuubimon, she continued her dodging, silently thanking Naruto for moving the tamers and other digimon to a safer distance...the area around her was quickly becoming a warzone. As he continued to sling attacks at her the smirk on her face grew...he was becoming reckless; the time to finish him when he left himself open was near. It was a few more minutes of nimbly avoiding his attacks when she noticed that his movements were becoming sluggish, a sure sign of wearing down. As she observed this, she decided to use the same tactic he himself had used on her. With a cry of **"Fox Tail Inferno!"** she launched nine blue fireballs at him, and watched as he had to shift his attention to them as they tried to follow his movements. Seeing her chance, Kyuubimon sprinted behind his position, jumped onto a wall and rebounded off of it towards his location in the air. As she neared his form, she started to somersault in midair while the blue flames in her paws ignited her entire body until her form was a massive spinning ball of flames. She called out her attack just as she was about to impact him. **"Dragon Wheel!" **She saw the look of unhindered fear on his face just before she impacted, and upon crashing into him, he only screamed in pain for a second before exploding into a red mist, which she quickly absorbed as she landed.

As Naruto saw Kyuubimon defeat IceDevimon, he could not have been more proud; she could not have used his teachings better if she tried. Like he taught her, she attempted to enrage her opponent and it worked beautifully. Then, she waited for him to tire himself out while she herself conserved her energy. And finally, when IceDevimon had tired himself out, she used her first attack as a distraction from her true attack, using the surroundings to launch herself at his airborne position...oh yes, she had made him _very_ proud. As the digimon and tamers cheered and ran towards Kyuubimon, Rika especially, he allowed himself a slow sedate walk toward her, content on letting the others congratulate her first.

Kyuubimon took a few deep breaths, allowing her adrenaline-induced battle state to wear off and looked around...she was surrounded by a warzone. As she continued her observations, she was startled when something crashed into her side and hugged her. It was then that she became aware of the cheering of the tamers and digimon, and the muffled sobs of joy coming from Rika, whom had buried her face in her mane of white fur. She smiled softly at the sight as she once more thanked Naruto...before she would have merely said something like "As I expected." but now here she was, crying tears of happiness out of relief she was okay...speaking of which, it was time to reassure her.

"Shhh...hey now, its alright; I'm fine, see?" Rika removed her head from the mane of fur to affirm Kyuubimon's statement. Upon seeing that indeed, she was fine, she realized that they were not alone...and she had just cried in front of an audience. Whirling around, her face promised death to those who did not comply as she talked in a low tone that send shivers down the spines the digimon and tamers it was directed at.

"What you saw will never be spoken of...EVER! Do I make myself clear?" Everyone simply nodded their heads in acknowledgment...even Guilmon recognized the threat and nodded like everyone else. When she heard a chuckle from behind her, Rika was about to turn around before she felt a hand ruffle her pineapple-like hair in a way reminiscent of an older sibling and huffed...figures he wouldn't even be phased by her death glare.

Naruto just chuckled more as he saw the look of annoyance in Rika's eyes...ahh it was fun messing with her. As he passed her, his attention went away from Rika and onto Kyuubimon, ignoring the incredulous looks the others were giving him. Kyuubimon finally seemed to notice his presence as well, and with a smile she approached him as he approached her. When they finally met, Kyuubimon nuzzled Naruto's face affectionately while he gently stroked her face, completely ignoring the intense gazed of the others around them. After a minute Naruto finally decided to speak up, his voice carrying an odd combination of pride and amusement.

"I see you put my teachings to good use, it was an excellent use of tactics...I'm proud of you Rena-chan...or should I call you Kyuubimon? I must say, this new form is...incredibly ironic."

Kyuubimon merely chuckled at this, for she herself found her own digivolution to be quite the surprise. She finally broke away from Naruto and backed up a second before she was suddenly consumed by a blinding light once more. When everyone looked at her position once more, she was once more Renamon. It was then that everyone finally took note of the new suit of armor she now wore...and just as quickly glanced over at Naruto's armored form, finding the similarities in the metal. Finally, it was Rika who found her voice and spoke up.

"Renamon...what's with the armor, and why does the metal look just like Naruto's?"

Her response was to simply move over to Naruto's side, where he wrapped his arm around her hip and pulled her snug against him, causing those who were watching to go wide eyed at the intimacy. She looked at Naruto and both seemed to have a quiet conversation before Naruto tilted his head to the side in thought for a moment, and then nodded. At this, Naruto turned his attention back to the others and answered in Renamon's stead.

"To answer your question, the armor was a gift from me. From where I come from it is customary for a Sensei to gift their student with an item of the trade they have taught them in. Because Renamon is my protegee and I have been teaching her the ways of a shinobi, and more specifically close combat, I felt it would be appropriate to give her a custom armor, one I designed myself."

At his answer Henry was the one who spoke up, finally getting to ask a question he had been curious about ever since his harsh verbal thrashing from Naruto.

"Hold up just one second Naruto...you said you were teaching her the ways of a shinobi...but its been hundreds of years since a shinobi has been seen, and even then they were myths. Just how is it that you're one...and while we're on the matter, how exactly do you have slitted eyes? If we're going to be seeing a lot more of you, I for one need to know I can trust you...and I can't do that if I know nothing about you."

Naruto sighed in exasperation...he may have fixed Henry's passive ways, but his observations were troublesome to say the least. Fortunately, he had already planned for this, and was already going to inform the tamers at least partially of what he was. With this in mind his demeanor changed and his eyes gained an icy hue once more; all traces of the warmth he shared with Renamon long gone, and then spoke up.

"Very well, as I do plan on 'being around' quite a bit I will divulge some information about myself to all of you, digimon included. However, it shall not be here...you never know who may be watching. I want everyone to either get a tight grip on me or one someone who is holding me; I will take us to a place that I know for a fact is safe from prying eyes and ears."

While everyone was surprised and confused by Naruto's request except Renamon, they slowly complied, Henry, Renamon and Takato taking firm holds on his left arm, back and right arm respectively, with their respective digimon or tamer grabbing hold of them. Before they could even question Naruto, he made a handsign, and everyone was quickly surrounded by a vortex of flame before dissapearing.

~~~Scene Change~~~

-(Underground Training Cavern)-

The massive cavern's soft blue ambiance was disrupted momentarily as a crimson-colored vortex of flame appeared and deposited its passengers onto the stone floor.

Naruto looked around the cavern with barely hidden surprise...although the general layout was how he remembered it from the clone's memories...where in the hell did the plant life come from? It would seem that he had underestimated just how well plant life could adapt; the massive stone columns that supported the roof of the cavern were almost completely swathed in a forest-green moss...in fact, the alcoves carved into the side of the cavern for the water and calming effect were covered in it as well, with the thickest moss being closest to the flowing water. Looking around at all the lively green moss that was no doubt thriving from the access to water and a cool temperature, he had to say that the cavern he created had a mythical presence to it with the inclusion of the soothing calm blue lighting.

While Naruto was doing a good job of hiding his surprise, the other occupants didn't bother; they all had their jaws hanging open at what greeted them, especially Renamon, whom had thought she had seen the extend of his den...apparently she was wrong, and very much so.

"Naruto...why have you never shown me this before?" Her voice carried just the smallest hint of sadness and disappointment in it, but Naruto caught it nonetheless. He nearly smacked himself for not mentioning it to her sooner, but it had simply evaded his thoughts with all that had been happening.

"I'm sorry Rena-chan, but this was done over the time we have been training by a small army of clone I had made; this is the first time I have seen it in person as well."

His answer drew the attention of Terriermon, who was just until then openly gawking at the massive underground space.

"Wait! Are you telling us that _you _made this...this insane cavern by _yourself_, and while you were training Renamon? Excuse me if I call you out on that...and what in the world did you mean by army of clones...are you an alien?" At the end he hid behind Henry's legs, expecting Naruto to turn into some kind of monster. Henry for his part could only face-palm...it would seem he needed to restrict not only how much zombie movies Terriermon watched, but sci-fi movies as well.

Naruto chuckled at the amusing scene, but upon remembering just why he had taken them here, his eyes grew cold once more and he spoke up in a no-nonsense voice.

"To answer your questions, yes I am saying I made this cavern...yet I myself didn't." At this he drew very confused faces from all except Renamon. To alleviate this, he simply made twenty shadow clones for about a minute, enjoying how everyone except Renamon was gaping once more. When he dispelled them, he spoke up once more. "I think that answers you second question about a clone army and just how I built this place. Now before I continue, I want two things from all of you with the exception of Renamon; she already knows what I am about to say. I want your word that what I say and show will never be repeated unless you have my blessing to do so, and secondly I want you to ask no questions until I am finished. Can you all do this?"

He waited until everyone had given their own personal word on it, even Guilmon. Of course, Henry was the last to finally give his word; it would seem he was the most cautious of the group, which served Naruto just fine. Once he had everyone's guarantee, he walked to Renamon's side and turned to face the group before speaking.

"Very well, now that I have your guarantees I can reveal some of myself to you. To answer your previous questions Henry, the way I can be a shinobi is because as I have said before, I am not from here. But I do not mean this by this country...I mean this as in I am not from this dimension." This earned him the expected shocked looks, but he was pleasantly surprised when no one spoke out. "As for my slitted eyes Henry...I believe that when we spoke before I indicated that I was not human, but it seems that my words were not believed. Fortunately, I have the means by which to prove my claims."

With this he slowly unclasped his mask that was attached to his helmet, letting it fall away to show his deep whisker marks and smirked, showing the large fangs his mouth concealed. Ignoring the gasps, he took off his gauntlets as well, revealing that his gauntlets were not the only things that were clawed; his hands were too, drawing yet another round of gasps. "As you can see I have features no normal human can have, yet I will show you irrefutable proof in a minute, but before I do I will answer your questions on yet another matter. I can see that you all are curious at how close Renamon and I are, and a few of you may have already speculated one it." At this his gaze wandered to Terriermon briefly, who had the humility to look away sheepishly. "However ironic it may be, Terriermon's speculations are probably the most accurate out of everyone's. For you see, the reason why Renamon and I are so close is quite simple: we are mates." This drew the loudest gasps yet, and Rika in particular looked floored with the information. "Now I know what you're thinking, how exactly is that possible? Well it would happen to tie in with what I am. For you see, while I may not be a digimon..." He trailed off and changed into his hybrid form with a swirl of flames "...I _am_ a Kitsune."

After he and Renamon awakened everyone except Guilmon, who had managed to stay awake with this odd expression on his face, he explained the world he came from, but did not tell them about his clan or the fact that this was still not his true form; such things were not necessary at the moment.

With the explanation finished, all was quiet for a good five minutes before Takato spoke up in a stunned tone of voice. "...So, let me get this straight. You're from another dimension...one filled with _ninjas_ and the villages they live in. To top this all off, you are a kitsune, a creature that these same shinobi can summon if they have the Kitsune contract?"

When Naruto nodded, Takato merely gave out a simple, "Oh." before fainting once more, which drew a chuckle from Naruto. While it certainly wasn't the whole story...hardly any of it in fact; all of what he told them was technically true. Now that he informed them of all he planned on telling them for now, he turned to his next objective; Guilmon. He had been sensing something off about the dinosaur lately, and he was going to find out what. Besides, he had been thinking a lot about small things he noticed in the dinosaur's actions, and had a theory, but wanted to make sure he was right. So, while the others were busy talking to each-other, Naruto approached Guilmon who was peering at Takato's downed form worriedly. When he was close enough for Guilmon's sensitive hearing to pick up his voice, Naruto spoke in soft tones.

"Guilmon, may I have a word with you?" When all he received in reply was a confused tilting of the dinosaur's head, he motioned to an area behind one of the massive pillars and slowly walked there, and not long after heard Guilmon's claws softly clicking against the stone floor behind him. Upon arriving at the location, Naruto turned around and peered at Guilmon, who fidgeted under Naruto's now quite fearsome visage. Seeing this, Naruto surprised Guilmon when he smiled and knelt down to the dinosaur's eye level while placing one paw on his shoulder, and spoke up.

"Guilmon, there are a few reasons I want to speak with you, but I will cover the most pressing one first; it may be just my imagination but I doubt it...Guilmon, why are you hiding your true self from Takato?" When Guilmon's eyes shot wide open at this, he knew his prior observations were dead-on. He spoke up in a softer voice this time, understanding the need to be gentle with this matter. "Is it because of his personality? I know how he views you; as a child...and we both know that physically such a thing is true...from what I have gathered, he literally drew you, did he not?" After getting a meek nod in reply, he continued. "As I thought, but while you may be considered a child, I have seen instances where you let you mask slip and showed a far more mature side. I know that some of your mask isn't really a mask; for someone your age, it is completely understandable to be somewhat childish...but why hide the more intelligent side?" He was surprised when Guilmon's muzzle shifted from an expression of surprise to shame as the dinosaur shifted his gaze away and down to the floor. It was quite for a moment before Guilmon responded...and while it was quiet, it was not in his typical childlike vocabulary, though his voice stayed the same.

"...I didn't want to lose him. You see, while he may have created this body of mine, he did not create _me_...my soul. I don't know how I know...I just do...but I know that the digital world is for the most part a violent place, where only the strong survive and the weak serve only as stepping stones. When my eyes looked at my tamer for the first time, I could instantly tell what he was like just from the expressions he made. The way his eyes lit up with joy, the way he spoke with all the innocence of a child...he was pure, and still is. I realized then that he thought of me in a similar way since he was holding a paper with a drawing of me on it...and wanting to please my tamer, I acted as expected; like a child would. What confuses me is that while I do have moments when I really am acting my age, for the most part I'm acting. When I see certain things; digimon in particular...I am reminded of things I know I have never seen and places I have never been...and it confuses me." Guilmon looked back up at Naruto, hoping to find at least a little bit of understanding, but was very surprised when understanding was not the only thing in Naruto's gaze. Oh no...Naruto was examining him with such an intensity that it made him squirm under those solid blue eyes.

Meanwhile with Naruto, his mind was in overdrive...Guilmon's confession was shocking...and it wasn't the fact that he wore a mask that shocked him...no, it was that Guilmon was _seeing and remembering_ things he had never done and places he had never been. It had managed to wake his father as well, and both of them were going over that this could possibly mean.

'How could he be remembering things he had never done? The only thing I can think of is reincarnation, but such is a myth...and a highly questionable one at that, considering Shinigami-sama wouldn't take to kindly to that.'

**'I have to agree, the reincarnation theory is sketchy as best...but what else could cause such things? Maybe hallucinogens...but to our knowledge he hasn't had any kind of contact with such...wait! Naruto, take a good look at Guilmon's chest!'**

Naruto did as instructed, and was getting confused by what his father was getting at. _'What does he want me to look for? All I see is a symbol that looks like the...others..' _But even as he thought this, he realized he was wrong. All the other small black triangular symbols on Guilmon looked like they belonged, and were simply that; either one or a few triangles next to each other...but the symbol on his belly was unlike the others. For one, the triangles were arranged in a pattern unlike any the rest of his body had, with the outer triangles' inner tips touching the center triangle's tips, while a circle outlined the center triangle. Hell for a second he thought it looked just like..and then it hit him.

"A seal..."

He didn't realize he had whispered it out-loud, but judging by the fact that Guilmon looked at him in confusion at the same time his father agreed with him, he had. He met Guilmon's confused gaze with his own piercing one, and spoke in a carefully controlled voice.

"Guilmon...I have a favor to ask of you. I think I may know where these mysterious memories are coming from...but to confirm this, I would need to take a look inside your mind."

The answer shocked Guilmon...how in the world could someone do that? "How would you do that? I didn't even think such a thing was possible!"

"It is possible with the assistance of one of my jutsus...there is no limit to what you can do with them. But anyways, I will be able to enter your mindscape with a jutsu; your mindscape is a representation of your mindset...but I will not do this without your consent. If I were to force this, it would be paramount to mind-rape."

Guilmon may have been young, but he was surprisingly good at reading people, and this carefully hidden skill of his paid off now. He could see that Naruto was being truthful...and even if he couldn't see it, if Naruto had ill intentions, then he wouldn't have asked his permission. So, his answer was in the affirmative. "Alright, I'll let you do your mind thing...what do I need to do?"

Naruto gave Guilmon's shoulder a soft squeeze in support before answering. "You just need to find a comfortable position for this; you will be unconscious while I take a look around inside your head. I could use a jutsu that would let you manifest yourself in your mind as well...but if my theory is correct, such would be bad right now. Now, simply close your eyes, and I'll do the rest."

Guilmon closed his eyes, trusting Naruto to do what needed to be done, and Naruto honestly was touched by the trust that was just bestowed upon him...he silently vowed not to take advantage of it. He performed a long string of handsigns before he whispered his jutsu and tapped Guilmon on his forehead. **"Mind Art: Subconscious Resonance" **With that, both he and Guilmon slumped forward as one entered the mind of the other, and one simply lost consciousness.

~~~Scene Change~~~

-(Guilmon's Mindscape)-

The first thing that Naruto heard was a rumble...but it was not of anything he recognized. Upon opening his eyes and standing up, he realized that Guilmon's mindscape was what appeared to be a truly massive network of caves and caverns...that rumble seemed like the earth itself was groaning. _'Heh...and I thought that _MY_ mindscape was spooky before I fixed it...his is the depths of the earth iself!' _But regardless of how spooky it may have been, Naruto started to explore the place with his youki lighting up the massive cavern around him...it was the only light available. While there was no doubt hundreds of different ways to go, he simply kept going down the route that led the deepest; he had found his father by doing the same.

It took him a good thirty minutes of running at a decent pace before he felt what was once deep rumbled now resonate at his level; he was near. Pulsing his youki, he got the general layout of what was ahead of him, and found that the small cave he was travelling down soon ended and expanded into a cavernous room, that while not the biggest he had encountered, was still massive. However, unlike the other caverns, this one had only one way in, and he was in it.

As he finally emerged out of the small cave and into the cavern, he flared his youki even more to light up the area. When his eyes rested upon what was there, he spoke the first thing that came to mind.

"Oh...you have GOT to be fucking kidding me!"

**Ending Notes: **And there we are, chapter 6 complete and extra long, just as I promised. Once more, sorry for the week-and-a-half absence, but I have given my reasons in my first comments. However, I will not be posting the next chapter of "Awakening of the Serpents' Avatar" all well today...I had planned to, but a small surgery forced me to postpone. As it is, hopefully I will release my other story's chapter by Sunday. But for now, I can honestly say I have bled to finish this chapter on time, lol. I literally opened up my chest wound yesterday when I tried to write more and had to go back to the ER...but we managed to close it back up, and I managed to finish this chapter today. So hey, if ya read it and you like it, say so! I'm gonna pull a cheap shot here...I bled for you!...damn that was cheesy, but true in some very, very vague sense. Anyways, I should hopefully have the next chapter up by next Friday, I want to keep my updates to the weekends. Now onto responding to my reviewers!

**Holyfoxboy: Thanks for the support and compliments!**

**Hades45: Heh, I must admit I did enjoy writing that scene...Yamaki was an ass in the series.**

**The-wandering-scribe: To answer your questions, Renamon had a little interaction with the clan in this chapter, but she will be seeing more of them. As for the difference between Naruto and Renamon...you'll just have to read! :D As far as lifespan goes...we know that Naruto is essentially immortal unless he takes an near-instantly fatal hit, and Renamon is made up of essentially data..and I've yet to see a digimon die of old age, therefore I'm assuming that unless they are deleted, they are essentially immortal; just look at the sovereigns. As for Kyuubi becoming a grandfather...dunno, you'll just have to read! ;P Besides, anything like that won't be happening for a long while yet.**

**Nulled Lucied: Lol, I've got an addict! -cackles maniacally-...anyways, its already been started and posted, and I'm going to continue working on the next chapter just after I post this; enjoy!**

**Gallantmon228: Heh, seems we agree on many things! Thank you for the compliments and your continued support, it really means a lot to me to find out people truly enjoy my stories.**

**Magician Girl Mirani: Heh, don't worry, Naruto set Henry straight. And I plan on him having at least one of these talks to all of the tamers; they need to work together, and he's going to be the glue that holds them there. I do plan on him training _everyone_ at least to some extent, of course there will only be so much he can do with the tamers, but they will improve at least a little. And next time you have a rant session send me a message, I'll gladly join in lol. As always, thank you for your continued support, and be happy in the knowledge that my Dumbledore rants will now be put to good use in my new story! :D**

**Vandenbz: It would seem that you, like Gallantmon228, agree with me on many things! Thank you for all the complements, and I hope you're pleased with the extra-long chapter! ^^**

**Dark Raven 19: Thanks!**

**Cmcwiki: Indeed, I was quite content after I was done writing it.**

**DarkIncubisKing: lol, no problem about not reviewing this story; you just did! As for Henry...yeah, I definitely agree there, but Naruto fixed him up!**

**Amaterasu's Vassel: The reason Naruto does not walk around in his hybrid form is because he is paranoid. While the chance is incredibly slim, there is always the possibility of someone bumping into him...and no illusion can hide the distinct feel of fur brushing you when what you saw was skin.**

**Sh8ad8ow: Here you go, and thanks!**

**Trife: I'm glad you find it so interesting! As for the length, yes it will indeed cover the D-Reaper, and hopefully go beyond that, though to what extend I do not know. As for when he will resume his true form...you certainly aren't the first to ask, but my answer will remain the same: you'll just have to read, I know its frustrating, but if I gave everything away I would take away from the full experience.**

**Jaredhimself31: Gah! You used that word again! Meh...anyways, yes the jutsu is indeed nasty...and it has a nifty name now!**

**Deathsilver: Thanks! And nope, no partner for Naruto.**

**Jlargent: Whoa hold up...two Renamon? Where? -glances around spastically-**

**Silber D. Wolf: Thanks for the support!**

**Childofthelord: Well...I dunno about writing like a paper was due...but I wrote until my wound opened and I bled all over the place, does that count? :D And yeah I can imagine that scene to be quite hilarious given the proper context.**

**Dark kitsune king: Thanks for the compliments! And yeah, I wonder why hardly anyone writes this pairing...it may be hard, but has insane potential.**

**Robert Donahue: Thanks!**

**Storylover213: Here you go!**

**Aurikki: Thanks for the compliments!**

**CajinAsian: Thank you for the compliments! And as stated before, you'll just have to continue reading to find out just when his true form will come into play...though that would be quite amusing.**


	7. Hidden allies, makings of greatness

**Hello again everyone and here's yet another chapter of "A Fox Among Tamers"! Just a few more chapters and I'll be passing the 100k mark for this story...damn that's a lot of words. I never realized just how much it was until I actually tried: to those of you out there with several 100k+ stories, I salute you! Now then, yes I know I was a little cruel in putting in such a cliffhanger, but it was meant to keep you on your toes; throwing in a little excitement now and then is good for the soul...I think...meh. Thank you once again for your support, and a double thanks to those of you who took the time to read my other story and review on it. Now I'll just step on out of the way and let this story continue, ne?**

"**You want me to talk into what?**" – Kyuubi speaking, jutsus/digimon attacks

"Get that thing out of my face!" – Normal speaking

'_What the hell was that thing?_' – Thoughts/thinking

'Hello?' **'Hello?'** – Thought-speak

~~~Scene Change~~~ : Obviously denotes a scene change.

-(Location)- : place of current scene.

**Disclaimer : I do not own anything belonging to Naruto or Digimon. However, I DO own this story.**

**-Hidden allies, and the makings of greatness-**

Naruto stared...and stared...and for the hell of it he stared just a little bit more at what was before him as his mind kept trying to deny the scene in front of him...irony would not do it justice. For you see, there laying on the ground behind a very reminiscent barrier of bars laid a massive beast. Oh, Naruto could tell that this was most certainly not the Shiki-Fuuin, nor did this one have anywhere near the power Shiki-Fuuin had...but it was a seal nonetheless, and it was doing an all too familiar job of keeping something locked up and unconscious.

_'Someone up there hates me...Kami why? So help me if I find out this thing's some kind of alternate-bijuu, I'm gonna kick your ass Kami!'_

As he finished his mini-rant, Naruto looked at the beast which slumbered in the cage and was admittedly impressed; if he wasn't what he was he would have been intimidated. The first thing he noticed was that almost its entire body, with the exception of its lower jaw and wings, was clad in some type of metal. Its general color-scheme was simple enough, consisting of mainly white, red, tan, and black here and there. Secondly, he noticed that it did not have any legs, instead it had a massive tail which began where a person's hips would, where intricate armor plates covered it. The massive wings upon its back were tattered as if damaged, but certainly fit on the beast. It had a mean looking jaw, its fangs presented for all to see due to its seemingly lack of gums, giving it a constant-snarl, even in sleep. Finally, and most importantly he noticed a very familiar symbol on the being's chest, which had what appeared to be ribs protecting its sides. The reason the symbol was so familiar is because it was the exact same symbol Guilmon bore on his own chest.

_'Now that I think about it, this big guy kinda looks like what Guilmon would be if he went bad-ass...hmm. I know there's some truth to the saying "Let sleeping dragons lie"...but since when did I listen to that? Time to wake up!' _

His decision made, Naruto let loose a youki pulse which washed over the entire room including the beast within. It may have been unorthodox, but it worked; not long after, the beast began to stir, and finally woke up, stretching its massive body as it seemed to simply defy gravity by hovering in the air while its wings remained stationary. While this intrigued Naruto, he was not in here for such questions, so he merely waited for his presence to be noticed.

As the dragon finished stretching, it spoke up in a deep voice, still having its eyes closed. **"So, you've finally decided to come and meet me, have you hatchling? Its about time, I was getting..." **It was at this time the dragon finally decided to crack open his eyes, which Naruto noticed had ruby irises surrounded by a sea of black, and noticed that whom he thought was in here was in fact not...instead some armor clad _human_ was looking at him with nary a care! The dragon's entire demeanor changed from calm and composed to angry in an instant and let loose roar which shook the cavern before he confronted the human below him.

"**Who are you? More importantly, what are you doing in here, human!"**

Naruto's eyebrow twitched behind his helm...he _really_ didn't like the tone this lizard was taking with him, and decided to let such be known.

"Now is that anyway to treat a guest? And for the record, I'm not-" He wasn't able to speak any further before the dragon let out another bellow and slammed one of his claws against the bars as he interrupted Naruto.

"**Answer my questions human! I do not care about whatever else you may want!"**

His eyebrow twitched violently once more...this punk was beginning to piss him off.

"Now just wait one damn-"

"**Who are YOU to tell ME to wait, human? I asked you some questions, and I expect them to be answered!"**

"If you would just let me-"

"**I will NOT be refused by some weak human who thinks he can play twenty questions with me! You will answer my questions or you will suffer the consequences, monkey!"**

That did it. He tried being civil...and this little lizard not only calls him a _weak human_, but went as far as calling him a _MONKEY_? Oh Ho! It was high time to show this little shit who was in charge here. Naruto quickly glanced around the cavern, taking in its size. He would certainly not be able to fix on _this_ side of the bars...but he fit over on the other size...it would be a squeeze, but thankfully the cavern was several hundred meters high and long...though why escaped him. This dragon was big...to a human; he guessed it stood...err floated about thirty meters high...which was laughable compared to himself. His decision made, he tossed off his armor and sealed it within a scroll and began to march right up to the dragon's prison.

"Oh that is IT! Call me a monkey will you? Scoot your metal ass over, I'm coming in there!"

Meanwhile, the actions of the human left the dragon bewildered...he not only refused to answer his questions...now this monkey insulted him and approached his prison without any fear? However, once the human passed the bars, his bewilderment turned into anger, and he lashed out at the human with one of his massive claws.

As Naruto entered the prison, he could see the rage burning inside the lizard's eyes and saw the claw coming as if it were in slow motion. He simply raised his arm and manipulated his youki to launch a massive claw that intercepted the oncoming claw. His move had the intended effect of shocking the dragon into a stunned silence as it tried to contemplate what just happened. That was fine with Naruto, he would let the punk know just who he was dealing with in a second. He quickly walked into the back of the cave where the most room was, and once he was positioned let out a sigh of relief as he resumed his true form in what had to be years...it may have been in a mindscape, but _damn_ if it didn't feel good! As he fell onto all fours and rose to unholy heights, what he predicted came true; it was a squeeze and he had to crouch. But all this did not matter to him, the lizard needed to be taught a lesson, and he was bathed in darkness. He let out a small amount of his killing intent, which was simply _packed_ with malice and watched the effects take place with a fierce smirk on his massive muzzle.

Meanwhile, aforementioned 'lizard' was staring at the darkness where Naruto walked off to in confusion...what the hell was going on? Before he could think any further, his senses picked up something...massive, and the air that just whooshed past him gave a clue of its size. This was quite confusing; the only being back there was that puny human, and he couldn't have caused such a large displacement of air! He was about to investigate this disturbance when he felt _it_. He barely managed to stay afloat as an ocean of...malice washed over him. What truly disturbed him was that it was more malice than he could muster...and he could muster quite a bit, yet this...presence just _oozed_ it, leaving him short of breath. Unfortunately for him, what little breath he did have soon left as two MASSIVE glacier blue eyes opened up and peered at him through the darkness...far, _far_ above him. If that wasn't enough, the entity took a step forward, its massive blood-red paw shaking the ground as it came into view...the damn paw was slightly larger than his entire body! He finally fell to the ground as a menacing red aura lit up the thing before him, showing an entity he could not have fathomed had he tried. In a way in was very reminiscent of a vulpine...if said vulpine was hundreds of meters tall and looked like he just merged with the devil himself. It was when the creature spoke that he lost his composure and backpedaled to the bars of his cage; that voice would be engrained in his mind for a long, long time.

"**A 'weak human' am I? A _MONKEY_ am I? Let me introduce myself! I am the Kyuubi-no-kitsune, clan head of the Kitsune Clan and leader of the Tailed Beasts! The only beings above me are Kami and the Shinigami! You asked who am I to tell you to wait, well now you know! Now the question I have for _you_, is who are YOU to demand things of ME?"**

As Naruto peered down at the now tiny form of the dragon, his patience ran thin as it refused to answer, seeming lost for words...well, he had ways of making it talk.

"**Well? I am waiting for an answer, dragon!" **He waited a few moments more, and when nothing came, he flared his youki around him, bathing the cavern in waves of potent energy. **"It was not a request, and I back up my threats. ANSWER ME DRAGON!"**

This seemed to snap the dragon out of his daze as his entire being screamed at him to answer else he receive a gruesome fate at the paws of this nightmarish fiend. As he gripped the floor beneath him to stay in place amidst the waves of energy, he yelled out his answer.

"**Megidramon! My name is Megidramon! I thought you were a mere human, forgive me!"**

Unexpectedly, his answer worked. As if a flip had been switched, the waves of energy abruptly stopped, as did the aura of menace that surrounded the gargantuan kitsune. Confused, Megidramon glanced up at the fox's eyes and saw that while it was still annoyed, it was no longer murderous...a good sign for him. When it spoke up once more, its tone was civil as if what just happened never occurred.

"**That's better. Megidramon huh...you are forgiven, though it would be highly unwise to do such a thing again. Now I'm sorry I probably scarred you for life, but you needed to be put in your place, and I do not take kindly being referred to as a 'monkey' when I am far, _far_ from one. You are probably confused about my title, but I will simply tell you I am not from this world originally, and we'll leave it at that for now. What I am here for is your story. I am a...friend...of Guilmon's, and am familiar with seals...especially containment seals. Imagine my surprise when I found one engraved upon Guilmon's belly, and when I delve into his mind find an occupant locked behind bars...care to enlighten me?"**

While the question was asked in a civil tone, Megidramon did not miss the underlying message; it was a demand, and ignoring such a demand would be quite unwise. However, now that he was aware that this "Kyuubi" had come for the sake of Guilmon, he was a bit more willing to acquiesce. So he spoke, and for possibly the first time in his life was extremely respectful in his words...after all, this entity before him was not one to cross.

"**Very well, but you might want to get comfortable; its not all _that_ long of a story, but I imagine constantly crouching like that isn't comfortable Kyuubi."**

Naruto did as he suggested, his form covering most of the area they occupied and quickly spoke up before Megidramon began his tale. **"Oh, before you begin; just call me Naruto. Kyuubi is my title, not to mention my father's name...being called such is just awkward for me."**

Megidramon tried to keep the quiver out of his voice as he replied...the thought of this being's _father_ scared the piss out of him. **"Err...alright...Naruto. Now then, the reason why I am locked away in here is because back in the digital world I was considered to be a calamity. In fact, I was considered one of the four great dragons which consisted of Azulongmon, Goldramon, Magnadramon, and finally me, Megidramon. Out of all of them, I am the only one classified as an "Evil" dragon, the other three are considered "Holy" dragons. There are a few reasons for this. One: My appearance is quite...wicked, especially when compared to the other three, whom look completely opposite of me; where I am jagged they are soft, where my wings are torn and wicked, theirs are either smooth or angelic...it helps keep the general opinion about me firmly entrenched. Two: I, unlike the other three, have a very short fuse; I simply do not tolerate those whom I dislike with a passion or those whom I deem as a threat, and I let them know it. Three: this one is the most important, and the main reason I am viewed as a calamity." **Here he tapped on his chest plate with one of his claws, right on the symbol engraved there. **"This symbol is known as the digital hazard, and I am one of a very few whom have ever had such. The reason for such panic when this symbol appears is mainly due to Lucemon, an angelic digimon that nearly caused the destruction of the digital world a few years back, but was fortunately defeated. The only ****other digimon to have ever bore this symbol was MirageGaogamon, and not much is known about the digimon's whereabouts, or even if he still exists. However, due to the symbol being present on Lucemon and the destruction he caused, digimon everywhere connect this symbol with calamity. The fact that it is on me, one of the four legendary dragons, and the one considered "evil"...well that didn't go over well."**

Here Megidramon took a short breather to gather himself for the next part...he wasn't too fond of bringing up these memories. But the intensity by which the massive fox peered at him unnerved him and he decided not to linger for long.

"**Anyways, for a long time all was well, even if relations were tense. Everyone, including the other three legendary dragons avoided me like the plague due to the aforementioned reasons, and I didn't mind too much; solitude was something I had grown used to and became comfortable with. However, everything went to hell when some upstart "holy" mega decided that I needed to be "purged". Its name was Dominimon, and I'll admit the punk was good with that glowing sword of his, but it wasn't enough. Unfortunately, he did manage to awaken my ire due to his incessant ramblings about the evil that was I. Due to such, he managed to piss me off and I...well I kind of went berserk. I am not proud of the fact, and when I finally snapped out of it Dominimon wasn't even a stain on the ground and the ground itself looked like Kami assaulted it with a sledgehammer. As you can probably guess, my rage attracted not only the other three legendary dragons, but what digimon call "sovereigns". Basically, sovereigns are considered to be the guardians of the digital world and there are four that guard the four cardinal directions. Ebonwumon of the North, Baihumon of the West, Zhuqiaomon of the South-he's an ass-, and finally Azulongmon of the East...yes he is both a legendary dragon and a Sovereign. There is a fifth that is considered the "ruler" of the digital world called Fanglongmon...but he hasn't shown himself for a long time. Anyways, when they arrived on the scene to find me floating there still calming down, with the landscape rearranged around me and my digital hazard symbol still glowing bright red...they jumped to conclusions, and quickly. Now I am a very powerful being, especially with the hazard, but the combined might of the other three legendary dragons and the sovereigns was far too much, and they promptly defeated me. To be honest that was the last thing I remember before I found myself awakening in here, but I have a damn good idea of what happened."**

He paused once more, getting ready to voice his theory on what the reasons behind his current situation was, and looked up at his audience...craning his neck quite a bit. Oddly enough, the titanic fox was looking down at him with something akin to understanding...how odd. However, he had a tale he needed to end.

**'Ahem' "Anyways, one thing you need to know is that when a digimon is deleted in the digital world, they regress back into an egg and are quickly whisked off to an egg nursery until they hatch once more in their Fresh form; the lowest on our evolution scale. However, upon my regressing into an egg and whisking off towards a nursery, those that were present followed, wanting to make sure I did not come back. So, when they finally found my egg in the nursery, Azulongmon sealed the egg so it would not hatch, and also sealed up any memories of my past life, just in case. It is my theory that I instinctively reached out to any being that could release me, and it was Guilmon's tamer who did so. However as you can see the memory sealing worked; I am merely a representation of my former life's memories; I am in essence the other half of Guilmon; I am him and he is me. That is the end of my story, and now here we are. Before I finish though, tell me; do you have the knowledge to undo this seal?"**

Naruto sat there for a minute after Megidramon asked his question, still sifting through what he was told. If he was completely honest, he sympathized with this dragon; he may have been a violent being, and may have had a short fuse...but only if others were stupid enough to draw his ire. Just like himself, the beings that surrounded him drew conclusions about him without ever asking for his own input. As his thoughts concluded, he actually smiled down at the 'small' dragon, internally chuckling at the surprise of Megidramon. _'Yes...yes I do think I'll break this seal...but not before I know the consequences of doing such.'_

"**To answer your question, yes I can break this seal with ease; from what I can see it appears to be an instinctive sealing. While that is definitely impressive, it cannot compare to a seal done by one whom knows the intricacies of sealing. However, before I do such there are two conditions that must be met. One: what will this do to Guilmon if I break the seal? And two: I will do this only with the permission of Guilmon himself; after all he is the other half of you and has a say in this."**

Megidramon slowly nodded as Naruto finished...those were agreeable terms. **"I can agree to those conditions. Upon the breaking of the seal, both Guilmon and I would technically cease to exist. What I mean by that is we will be one entity; the personalities and memories of both entwined and meshed into one being. Also, when the time comes he will be able to digivolve into me without consequences; if he were to do such without my knowledge he would have gone into a rage...one that would have dire consequences. As for asking Guilmon, I would not expect any less; he is part of the whole as well."**

Naruto nodded...it was odd, talking to essentially a different aspect of Guilmon...but it made sense now. He laid the tip of one of his massive tails on one of Megidramon's shoulders, shocking the digimon with the show of support before he spoke up once more.

"**Very well...I suppose this will most likely be the last time we talk...well at least like this. Before I leave, I just want to let you know I understand what you've gone through more than you know...you were not the only one the others made assumptions about."** As he finished he smiled at the shocked look on Megidramon's muzzle as he slowly faded out of Guilmon's mindscape. The last thing he saw was the slight uplifting of Megidramon's muzzle and the understanding that briefly showed in his eyes.

~~~Scene Change~~~

-(Underground Training Cavern)-

When Naruto opened his eyes again, it was to the familiar gentle blue glow of the massive training cavern. He stood up and stretched his sore tails; he had unknowingly fell on them when he lost consciousness. As he stretched he looked around and noticed that Guilmon and his absence went unnoticed. He was greatly relieved when he felt his father's presence in his mind once more; it was the first time he was away from his father and the experience unnerved him.

'Father, man am I glad you're back! It was unsettling being alone in my own mind...but anyways, how much time has passed since I was in Guilmon's head?'

He heard his father chuckle a little before he responded, and amusement could be heard in his voice. **'You knew as well as I that we both couldn't enter his mind. As for how long you've been gone, ****barely a minute has passed; you forget that a mindscape can run at an entirely different time-****continuum. For me, you've barely been gone, but I am curious as to what happened, may I see it through your memories?' **

When Naruto gave his permission, he waited patiently while his father sifted through his memories. Meanwhile, he himself watched over the still unconscious form of Guilmon with softer eyes than before. _'Funny...at first I thought Guilmon was nothing more than some childish lizard. Now I know that he's more like me than I ever imagined...how truly ironic. He may not ever become as powerful as I am...but I can tell he will do great things, and I will help him.'_

As he finished his musings, Naruto carefully moved Guilmon's body into a more comfortable position. After he positioned Guilmon in a more comfortable position, he felt his father return from his recent memories and waited patiently for him to speak.

**'That...was quite informative. To think that another being led a life so close to your own and that you found him...the chances are astronomical. His life may not have been as...violent as yours, but nonetheless he was treated poorly for something that was not his fault. What do you plan to tell Guilmon?'**

Naruto needed no time to think on his answer. 'Everything. He has just as much of a right to decide as Megidramon does...more really, considering that Megidramon has already lived a life before this...shitty it may have been. And honestly, if I were to break the seal he wouldn't really be gone, they'll be combined...hard as that is to imagine.' As he finished explaining, he focused some youki onto the tip of a claw and touched it to Guilmon's head. Almost instantly, the golden orbs opened and shifted in and out of focus a little before finally focusing on Naruto's visage. Guilmon rolled onto his belly and stood up before he addressed Naruto.

"Naruto? How long were we out? Did you find anything? If so, what was it, was it bad?"

Naruto placed a paw over Guilmon's mouth and chuckled at the dinosaur's eagerness before he addressed him. "Slow down, I'll answer your questions but you'll have to give me the time to do such! Now to answer your first question, hardly more than a minute has passed here; I was in your mind for hours, but a mindscape can move much faster than the outside world. As for your second question, yes I most certainly found something alright, as for the last question...well its hard to say and ultimately up to you to decide, so let me tell you of what I found, and the story I gained from it..."

As Guilmon listened, his jaw slowly dropped lower and lower, so by the end of the story his jaw was hanging slack as he stared at Naruto. Naruto himself was feeling a little worried about Guilmon...the vacant look in his eyes and the complete loss of control of his jaw made him wonder whether he fried Guilmon's brain with the information. However, he didn't need to worry as soon Guilmon's facial features shifted into a look of deep contemplation before he spoke up.

"So...let me see if I have this right. I have another aspect of myself locked up inside of me...and he was once one of the most powerful and feared digimon ever known. When he briefly lost control in a fight, everyone assumed he was going to become another digimon like Lucemon and endanger the world, so they defeated him and sealed him away...in his own reborn self...me? And to top it all off, you both want my permission to break the seal and basically merge us both?"

Naruto simply nodded...when Guilmon put it like that, it was quite a bit to absorb.

Guilmon's eyes lost focus as he went deep in thought once more and Naruto waited patiently; this wasn't something to take lightly.

'Kid's got a lot of heart to even be considering this. He's really thinking this one through...seems we've underestimated him, ne father?'

His response was a chuckle before Kyuubi spoke up. **'Indeed. He bore his own mask for the sake of his tamer, and now he's seriously contemplating letting something he's never known share his life. These tamers might just make a team yet. Oh, and don't think I missed that look you gave him.'**

Naruto scratched the back of his head sheepishly...seemed his father found him out.

**'Uh-huh, I knew it. While I support the idea, how exactly will you train him? It was sheer luck that Renamon's anatomy was compatible with your fighting style...but Guilmon has a completely different anatomical structure.'**

'In truth, I plan on training all of the tamers and their partners here to some extent. However you are, right...I'm not quite sure how I can train Guilmon in anything other than the basic endurance, strength, speed, and dexterity...but I'll figure something out.'

Their conversation ended when they both noticed Guilmon come out of his thoughts, his muzzle set in a serious expression. Naruto couldn't hold back the small smirk that adorned his own muzzle when Guilmon looked him right in the eyes...that was quite a spark the dinosaur had. When Guilmon spoke up, it sounded admittedly odd having a childish voice say something so serious.

"...Do it. He didn't deserve what happened to him, and to be honest I've always felt like something was missing. Now that I know what, or _who_, was missing, I know what I have to do."

Naruto nodded slowly before he gave Guilmon his final warning. "Alright, I'm going to break the seal now...if you're going to back out, now would be the time." Upon seeing no reaction from Guilmon, Naruto concentrated his youki into his claw tips until they each seemed to have small bonfires on them. He then quickly went through nearly one-hundred handsigns before he finished, crying out **"****Ātoshīru: Baindingu no yurushi o" **(Sealing Art: Binding Absolution) and slammed his claws into Guilmon's gut...not hard enough to pierce his hide, but certainly enough to knock the wind out of him. Naruto did this for one simple reason: an outside entity forcibly breaking a seal on another _hurts_. As Guilmon attempted to cry out in pain and failed due to lack of breath, Naruto watched as the symbol on Guilmon's belly seemed to warp in on itself, slowly sucking into some invisible epicenter before it disappeared altogether, leaving unmarred white flesh in its place. Naruto knew it would be back, but only when Guilmon gained the ability to become Megidramon...after all, the seal on his belly just symbolized that he held an entity whom bore the Digital Hazard.

As Guilmon writhed on the ground in silent agony, Naruto eventually gave into what he had been wanting to do since the process began. Guilmon's agony awoke memories of his own; when he himself was in just as much or even greater agony...yet no one was there to help him through it. He would not allow this being to experience that, and so he silently sat cross-legged on the ground and dragged the writhing dinosaur into his lap. While Guilmon was still struggling, it has lessened somewhat at the knowledge he was not alone, and Naruto silently bathed Guilmon in his youki in small amounts. Early on he had found out that while his youki was generally extremely destructive, to the point where it removed flesh from bones in an instant at its most potent form...it could also serve as a painkiller when used in very mild amounts, such as now. After a few minutes the writhing stopped and Guilmon's body went slack from the exertion.

Naruto remained seated as he waited for Guilmon to recover. However, he was alarmed when he not only felt Guilmon shaking, but dampness on his fur. Peering down, he saw something he did not expect...Guilmon was crying. Hard. _'What the hell could have brought this on? I know that breaking a seal like that would hurt, but its not THAT bad...and there is no lingering pain; once its done its done. So then what? Maybe the merging of their two identities...but that wouldn't...'___Naruto's train of thought halted as he realized one very important fact...if he wasn't busy comforting Guilmon he would have smacked himself. _'Dammit! Its the memories from Megidramon...he might have been used to the cruel treatment he was given, but now that they're one being, Guilmon now has those memories, and HE doesn't know how to cope...shit!'_ Naruto had to act fast...while he did not doubt that his own memories were likely far worse, he had been abused his whole life...he was used to it back then. Guilmon was still new to life and had a pretty good one so far...being exposed so suddenly to those kinds of memories was likely to break him if Naruto didn't do something. Naruto quickly grabbed onto the sides of Guilmon's head with his paws and made the dinosaur look at him, those amber orbs of his showing a mix of so many emotions it hurt just to think about it.

"Guilmon...Guilmon! Look at me! You need to calm down, I want you to listen to my voice. Don't focus on anything else, just listen to my voice. Take a deep, slow breath in and hold it, then after a few seconds slowly breathe out. Keep this up until you're okay. Think of the good times you've had with Takato, think of all the times you played with him, had fun with him...any good memory you have, remember it...view it...live it." Naruto's voice was at first loud to grab Guilmon's attention, but as he went on he made it settle into a soothing baritone to calm Guilmon. Thankfully it seemed to be working...Guilmon's eyes slowly seemed to cloud over and his shaking soon stopped, though the tears still remained. Naruto waited for a minute more before he spoke up once again.

"There...you doing alright there?"

Guilmon didn't bother saying anything, he just slowly nodded his head. It was quiet once again for a minute before Guilmon spoke up in a voice that barely passed as a whisper, but Naruto heard it nonetheless.

"Why...why were all those digimon so cruel? They never even tried to get to know me...instead they just shunned and eventually deleted me...why?"

Naruto sighed heavily as he thought about what to say. He himself had asked those very same questions countless times when he was still in the village...and to be honest he wasn't entirely sure of the answer. However, he knew that Guilmon needed something to cling to at the moment, so he spoke up in a soft voice.

"You know...I myself asked those very same questions a long time ago, when very similar things happened to me."

Guilmon's head snapped up in surprise and he looked at Naruto with wide eyes...Naruto could see all too well the conflicting emotions that swirled in those depths. Sadness; that someone else went through this. Surprise; that he was not alone. Hope; that someone else knew what he was feeling. And lastly anger; at himself for hoping such a horrible thing on another. Naruto gave him an understanding smile before he spoke again.

"Yes, I too have experienced being shunned. Up until the age of five I was shunned by my entire hometown, sans one old man...but oftentimes he was too busy to help. You must understand that this is before I became what you now see before you, but that is a story for a different time. Almost daily I was beaten, tortured, and poisoned in the hopes that I would just die." Guilmon had a horrified look on is face, but Naruto continued on...Guilmon needed someone to latch onto, and he could provide just that. "I eventually escaped, and just like you I had my vengeance on at least some of whom caused me such harm. I cannot answer why they did such atrocious actions...I personally think it is because you and I were unknown...they didn't know what to make of us, what we could do...and that scared them. This does not excuse them for their actions, and I will never trust the vast majority of humans, just as I'm sure you won't trust the vast majority of digimon...but know this Guilmon." There he leveled his gaze at Guilmon, trying to make sure Guilmon understood. "...You are NOT alone, nor will you be."

He watched as the message sank through as Guilmon's eyes teared up once more before actually burying his muzzle into Naruto's chest fur and hugging him, clearly not wanting to move. Naruto himself was momentarily shocked, arms spread to the side for a moment before he slowly and awkwardly just laid his arms around Guilmon and let him be. He heard movement off to the left of him and saw Renamon coming around the corner, most likely to see what they were up to.

While the others were still busy talking, Renamon was starting to get worried. Naruto and Guilmon had walked off almost half an hour ago, and had not been back since. Deciding to see just what was going on, she walked in the general direction that they headed in. Once she was a good twenty meters away from the group, she heard the faint sound of...crying? Becoming more worried at this, she pinpointed the location as behind one of the massive columns and approached it. However, upon emerging on the other side the sight that greeted her rendered her stunned speechless. There was Naruto, still in his hybrid form, sitting cross-legged _soothing_ a _sniffling_ Guilmon, who had wrapped his arms around Naruto's torso in what could only be a hug. Naruto merely nodded to a spot next to him and indicated for her to join him, and so she did quietly.

Naruto gave Renamon a quick nuzzle once she sat down next to him before he returned his attention to Guilmon, who was now showing signs of calming down again. Seeing her very bewildered look Naruto quietly whispered in her ear. "I can see you're confused my mate; would you like to view my memories of the event?"

Upon seeing her simply nod, he subtly formed handsigns with his dextrous paws while continuing to comfort Guilmon and whispered out **"Maindoāto: No kage kako" **(Mind Art: Shadows of the Past). As he finished, his youki concentrated on the tip of one of his tails and he gently pressed it to her forehead, causing her to go slack while she viewed his recent memories.

Guilmon finally let up on his hug and looked at Naruto with gratitude. With an emotional depth that didn't belong in a child's voice, he spoke up saying two very simple words, but they conveyed all they needed to.

"...Thank you."

Naruto just smiled and rubbed the top of Guilmon's head playfully before he spoke up. "No problem. I know what its like, and I'll be there to help when you need it. Now before we return to the group, how are you handling the merge? From what I can see you have retained most of the old Guilmon's personality for now...am I to assume that as you progress in digivolution, your personality will shift accordingly?"

Guilmon cocked his head to the side in thought for a moment, before giving a slow nod. "I think so...I still have all the memories of my old life, so I'll definitely be different, even as I am now. What will I do about Takato? I really don't want to hide behind a mask, but he's bound to notice the change if I don't." Guilmon looked especially worried about how his tamer would take it, and that just made Naruto smile more...this little guy had heart.

"My advice to you is to simply be yourself. Sure he will notice the difference, but once he realizes that this is the true you, he should accept you. As a tamer, he is obligated to accept you...and as a friend, he should accept you for who you are. While I highly doubt he would have a...negative reaction towards your new mindset...if he indeed does react poorly, I will intervene and show him the error of his ways. Now I hope you do not mind, but I am currently letting my mate Renamon here view the memory of my meeting in your mindscape. You need not worry, I trust her with my life and she will keep this information well guarded."

Guilmon blinked a few times before seeming to just now notice the large yellow fox leaning against Naruto, clearly unconscious. Then he registered the rest of Naruto's words, and slightly shuddered as he clearly remembered the demi-god fox that was supposedly Naruto. Looking up with slightly nervous eyes, he voiced his question.

Neither he nor Naruto realized that Renamon had finished viewing the memory and was silently listening in. She had never seen his true form, and what he told her about it was still an incomprehensible idea...but the height at which she peered down at Megidramon in the memory opposed her skepticism. However, she knew that things inside a mind were completely different from outside, thus she still held onto her doubt. Upon hearing Guilmon speak up she quickly paid attention, making sure to keep her breathing at a slow and steady pace.

"Naruto...speaking about minds...that form you took when you entered the prison...what was that? You didn't mention anything like that when you informed us of what you were."

Naruto sighed, but guessed Guilmon deserved an answer...he did scare the shit out of the dinosaur after all. "What you saw was my true form Guilmon. While I did not lie to any of you about my past, I also withheld a great deal, and I ask that you keep this between us until the time is right. You see, I can change between three forms: near-human, hybrid, and Kitsune. As you have probably guessed, the form I took in the mindscape was my true Kitsune form...I needed to stretch out; it had been years since I last was able to take it, and I tend to feel cramped every now and then. And before you ask; yes I am really that big...to be honest your prison was quite snug, I was practically laying down on my belly."

Naruto's words caused Guilmon to blanch slightly at the thought...he was practically _lying down_ and he still scraped the ceiling of that massive cavern! If Naruto was at his full height...he shuddered at the thought. Now he had one last question to ask...and it was about that...energy that literally exploded from Naruto.

"I have one last question for you Naruto...just how strong are you? That energy that exploded from you...it was unreal!"

His words caused Naruto to chuckle a bit before he spoke. "Guilmon...what you felt in there was a very, _very _small fraction of my power...back in my home dimension, the nine-tailed beast Kyuubi; that's what they called me, was said to have an infinite amount of energy. While this is false...its is only so by a little. Not only do I have a frightening amount of youki, but I regenerate it almost as fast as I can expend it...so in all practicality I _do _have infinite energy. You no doubt felt the malice within the energy as well...that is simply a trait meant for psychological warfare; my youki makes my would-be enemies feel a foreboding presence. Just consider yourself lucky I did not focus any of my KI, or killing-intent on you...even in small amounts it has been known to make the recipient die of fear if it is solely focused upon them. As for how strong I am? Well...just like you, I was known as a calamity back in my home dimension. The humans spoke many tales about me, how just one swish from one of my tails could cause a tsunami, an earthquake, a firestorm, or a hurricane gale...and for once they were true; such is well within my capabilities. To be honest I do not know the full extent of my powers, and I hope I never have to find out."

His answer elicited yet another blanch from both Guilmon and Renamon, thought the latter's was not seen. The thought of such a creature was hardly imaginable, and while Guilmon believed his words due to the fact he had felt such power firsthand, Renamon still chose to withhold judgment until she saw such a thing herself.

Acting as if what he spoke of never happened, Naruto smiled once more and set Guilmon onto his feet before he spoke up. "Alright, now go on ahead and go back to the others Guilmon, I need to get Renamon up before we join you." Guilmon nodded and walked around the pillar until he disappeared from view. As he did this, Naruto's expression morphed into a smirk as he turned his attention to the 'unconscious' Renamon.

"Alright he's gone...nice try by the way with faking unconsciousness. It would have worked if I didn't pick up the hitch in breathing the moment you woke up...its an involuntary reaction, and one that can't be controlled."

The fact that he knew she was listening all along made her open her eyes and pout, something Naruto found incredibly cute. Chuckling, he gave her a chaste kiss on her lips and pulled back before speaking once more. "As much as I would like to continue laying here with you, we really should be getting back to the others; no doubt they're wondering where we are."

Renamon nodded, but needed to clarify what she saw. "Alright...but just to make sure I wasn't imagining things...Guilmon is or was _Megidramon_, the supposed calamity of the digital world? Not only that, but now he'll be able to once more resume his original form once he can obtain Mega level?"

Naruto stood and offered her his paw as he answered. "Hard to believe I know, but its the truth. I wouldn't worry though, really he was just completely misunderstood...everyone drew conclusions about him without ever getting to know him." He trailed off as a sad smile spread across his muzzle, causing Renamon to hug him as they walked back.

"He's like you...isn't he?"

Naruto chuckled, but there was hardly any mirth in it. "Yes...its honestly quite shocking just how similar our pasts are. He might not have been tortured, but he still had it rough." They both lapsed into silence as they walked back, each lost within their own turbulent thoughts.

**'Heh...it was almost like looking back in time, what you just did son.'**

The sudden announcement startled Naruto momentarily, but what his father said confused him. 'What do you mean father?' A deep booming laugh was his response before Kyuubi spoke up once more, his voice laced with amusement and warmth.

**'What I mean is that when you were comforting Guilmon, it was almost a reenactment of the times I comforted you in similar ways, especially during our first year together when you still had nightmares over what the village did to you. In short, your actions were very similar to those of a parent caring for their child.'**

His father's answer caused Naruto to choke on the breath of air he just took, but he managed not to stumble. 'W-What? What are you saying, that I see Guilmon as my child in some very weird way?' Once more his question was met with a laugh...apparently his father was finding great amusement in his awkwardness.

**'Perhaps not quite like you would view a child of your own, but you view him as a child nonetheless...and one you want to look over. While he may retain the memories of Megidramon, he is still little more than an infant in terms of age, and it shows at times. He may mature more as he digivolves, but as he is right now he is a child. On top of this, his past is almost a damn near replica of yours, and because of this you feel a connection with him; do not shun this, embrace it. While he may not be yours, that does not mean you can't care for him as I have done for you.'**

His father's words made Naruto pause in his thoughts...did he really see Guilmon as someone to protect...a child to care for? Perhaps he did...but now was not the time to ponder such things. 'Perhaps I do, but right now we need to focus on what's in front of us...that is, the tamers.' And indeed, they just now walked up to the tamers, which included a now-conscious Takato that was happily chatting away with Guilmon, whom simply nodded as he listened. However, upon noticing Naruto and Renamon's entrance, everyone quieted down and gave Naruto their attention, much to his relief...he really didn't want to get their attention the hard way. After clearing his throat, Naruto spoke up.

"Alright, now you're probably wondering why you're still here even after I've already told you of just what I am." His response was merely the bobbing of many heads. "Alright...well I'll put it bluntly. Your teamwork is horrendous."

The blunt brutality made a few of them flinch while others, such as Rika, bristled slightly at the accusation. "Now before you get all pissed off at me, hear me out. I do not say this with bad intentions, I am merely stating a fact, and one that was ultimately unavoidable. For four of you, this was the very first time you were not alone with your tamer/digimon partner in a fight, and thus had no experience to work off of. For two of you, this was most likely your first time fighting an enemy digimon at all, excluding the 'fight' in the garage. That compiled with the fact that this was your first time working in tandem with others, and it is not surprising that it didn't go so smoothly. Renamon was able to defeat Icedevimon, and that was due to a digivolution and training...training which I gave her." Here their eyes widened as his own eyes peered over them all with a piercing gaze, letting them know just how serious he was.

"For those that do not know, I have trained Rika some as well, though not nearly to the extent I have trained Renamon. I fully plan on training _everyone _here to some extent, regardless of whether or not you will be the ones fighting."

His answer was met by a confused Takato speaking up. "Wait a second...why are the tamers going to be trained? It not like we have a chance of actually fighting digimon!"

Naruto had expected this answer, and gave his own in response. "While this is most certainly true, let me present you with a scenario. What would you do if, while your digimon was busy fighting an enemy, a different one decided to attack you? Most likely, there wouldn't be much you could do except hope your digimon saves you, and that may very well leave them open to an attack. I will not be teaching the tamers how to _fight_ digimon, I will be teaching them how _survive_ attacks from digimon, by working on your dexterity, speed, and evasion techniques. I will also require you all to help each other when it comes to those cards you use...I am not familiar with them, so I expect you to work on maximizing your efficiency with each other. As for the digimon, I fully plan on teaching you battle tactics and how to work in a team; such will be essential in the times to come. Including this, I will be working to improve your strength, speed, dexterity, evasiveness and endurance. Lastly, I will be teaching you how to fight _without_ spamming your instinctive attacks; useful they may be, but they are also very energy-consuming and predictable; why use some flashy attack when a well-aimed punch or slash could have the same effect? Now before we begin, are there any questions? I warn you, there will be _no _questions once we start, and I fully plan on working you into the ground, after which I will simply take you home."

Those that listened to him were reminded of different things when he spoke. For the humans, they could have swore a drill-sergeant was standing in front of them with the way he spoke while remaining ram-rod straight. For the digimon, they were reminded of the very few times they ever saw a sovereign; he just seemed to exude leadership. Little did they know that this had been drilled into him by his father with blood, sweat, and tears. When no one spoke up, Naruto's demeanor completely changed as his muzzle now wore a smirk that made them want to scamper. Next to Naruto, Renamon winced in sympathy...while she was going to be doing the same thing, she was used to it by now...they were not.

Everyone watched in curiosity as Naruto fished out a scroll from his pocked and opened it, mumbling to himself as he searched for whatever it was he needed. He apparently found it, if his triumphant "Aha!" was anything to go by. With a large plume of smoke, an duffel bag appeared before them, almost bursting with whatever it held within. Naruto's smirk only grew wider as he effortlessly lifted it up, unbound the opening and dropped it. Everyone paled a few tones as the impact created a small crater from the weight withing and they found out just what the bag contained; weights...lots and _lots_ of weights. When his smirk was about to split his muzzle in two, Naruto spoke up.

"As you have probably guessed, these are training weights. I will eventually be putting a gravity seal on the digimon...and maybe you tamers, should you exceed my expectations, but for now, I need to get you guys in the shape needed to even _consider_ gravity seals. As such, I will be issuing everyone here weights with the exception of Renamon; she already has a gravity seal. Takato, Rika and Henry, you each will wear ten pound weights on all your limbs to start off...you can expect this to increase at time goes on. Terriermon, you will simply wear a twenty pound strap on around your torso due to your size and stature. Guilmon, you will be wearing thirty pound weights on all of your appendages, including your tail." Naruto greatly enjoyed the gaping looks he was getting from everyone except Renamon...his mate just gave him an exasperated look, which he returned with a smirk.

When he looked back at the others and realized they were still gaping at him, he allowed himself to fully immerse into his "Drill-Sergeant" persona. With a voice that made everyone jump, he barked to the others, "Well? I told you what you were to wear, but I don't see any wearing! HOP TO IT MAGGOTS! BY THE TIME I'M THROUGH WITH YOU, YOU WON'T HAVE ENOUGH ENERGY TO GAWK, LET ALONE STAND!" His words sent them into a flurry of movement, not wanting to arouse his ire once more.

For the next several hours, the sounds of mad cackling and groans of pain and exhaustion could be heard echoing around the massive columns of the cavern.

**Ending Notes:** And there you have it, chapter seven complete! Oh and I just need to let of a little bit of excitement...FINAL FANTASY 14 COMES OUT SEPTEMBER, WOOT!...-ahem- Now before I say anything more I would like to apologize you my readers for the late update; life's been kicking my ass the last two weeks, and this weekend (with the exception of two hours this Thursday night) has been the first time I've been up to actually putting in some considerable effort into this story. This brings me to my next announcement; I'm getting pissed off at myself because I keep trying to predict when I'll update next, and then I let you guys down when I'm proved wrong...no more. Simply put, I will update when I update, though I assure you there won't be massive gaps between the updates...I'm simply saying I won't get your hopes up only to dash them the next second anymore. As for those of you whom are or are becoming fans of my new story, "Awakening of the Serpents' Avatar", I'm letting you know I am going to begin the next chapter right after I finish wrapping this one up, literally. As such, I will _hopefully_ have the next chapter of that out before Tuesday comes rolling around (I have Monday off). And now onto review responses!

**Gallantmon228: Hello once more my loyal reviewer! Thanks for sticking around and responding to each chapter, I do appreciate it. Now then, as to whether Renamon will get a weapon or not...I honestly don't know, I haven't decided yet. I'm leaning towards no, due to the fact it will simply be in the way for her other forms, but it isn't set in stone. And thanks for your concern on my well-being, but rest assured I am fine now; the hole is healing nicely and will simply be a decently large circular scar in but a few days I expect.**

**Storylover213: Thanks for the compliment, glad you enjoy it so much!**

**Lightningblade49: Oh no, not a ninja at all.**

**Sh8ad8ow: Here you go!**

**Holyfoxboy: Heh, yeah I know the cliffhanger was a killer, but it ensures that I keep people on the edge of their seats, which only adds to the enjoyment once the next chapter comes around.**

**DarkIncubisKing: Heh...well now you know!**

**Hades45: Sorry about the late update, hope you didn't suffer from withdrawal symptoms ^^;**

**Drac-frst: Aye, I do admit using the same digimon twice was probably not the best course of actions, but as you know the first one barely even made an appearance before it was decimated by Naruto, so it wasn't _too_ bad. Lastly thank you for considering this story one of the best crossover stories you have read, I'm honored you think such. Oh, and don't worry, the wound won't be bleeding again soon (hopefully), right now its just a large...crater ^^;**

**Trife: Hmm...an interesting concept, using the training cavern as an emergency shelter...I'll have to think on that one. If I use it, full credit goes to you, and I'll say as much in the story (If I forget, just say such in a review or message and I'll be sure to correct it).**

**Childofthelord: Ehh, I don't know about more commitment than Naruto...that guy's fanatic! But still, thank you for the compliment. As for the random person that no one detects...erm don't mean to sound rude but what exactly would it be for, what plot device?**

**Vandenbz: Actually, she really did own Guilmon when they fought; he may have been holding back his true personality, but he still had no former experience on how to fight, while Renamon was well-versed in wartime strategy due to Naruto. Dunno how advanced I plan on making Renamon in seals...but I do have many devious ideas...especially when they find out her Ultimate form ;D. As for the bell test, I don't think I'll implement it in this one...they have the will to work together, they just need the knowledge on just _how _to do that, which Naruto will happily provide. As for anything coming from their relationship...that would be telling ;P. And I have plans for when Taomon is revealed, thought that will probably be a good few chapters down the road from now. Thank you for your continued support!**

**Magician Girl Mirani: No problem, I was more than happy to use your idea, and remember; while you may like the design, if never would have happened if you didn't suggest it, so thank _you_. As for drawings of him in his armor, I wouldn't mind at all if someone wanted to do such. I give permission to anyone wanting to draw him in his armor or Renamon in hers, I just ask that you send me a message so that I can see the end outcome, I'd certainly be interested. Hai hai, I know it was cruel of me to leave you all hanging like that...but it just makes the next chapter all the more sweet! As for Guilmon, yes I most certainly plan on developing his character...while he won't have as much 'screen-time' as Naruto or Renamon, he will still play an important part. As for the hangslow brothers, yes I did truly enjoy writing that part and just imagining people's reactions as they read it ^^. And your PS on lemon drops gave me an idea for my other story...-cackles madly-**

**cmcwiki: Ding Ding Ding! Got it in one!**

**Jeikobu Kyoudai-teiru: Thank you for your concern over my health, but no worries, I am well on the road to recovery!**

**Archon Dragon: Thank you for the compliments on my story. Now as for where Naruto would compare to a sovereign...you will find out later in the story, as he WILL be facing down at least one.**

**Aka No Kuro: Thanks!**

**Aurikki: Demon?...well to the other digimon I suppose he kinda was. Thank your for your compliments!**

**Windmaster324: Thanks for the compliments, and yeah I know the cliffhanger was cruel...but a necessary cruelty.**

**RasenShuriken92: Thanks!**

**CajinAsian: Thanks for your review, and don't worry, I make sure to read each review and if I can, respond to them all. The only way I can see this not happening is if my story suddenly gains a massive boost in popularity and I gain something like 100+ reviews in one chapter. If that happened, I would basically be forced to only respond to reviews that asked a valid question, else most of the chapter would be taken up with just responding.**

**(blank): Ding Ding Ding! Yet another figured it out!**

**Yomikage Kazuma: Glad to see I'm not alone in the opinions on this pairing. Thank you for your very generous comments, I'm honored you think so highly of my story. And I read all my reviews, no matter how miniscule they may be, and your was certainly not miniscule.**

**BlackRoseFire: Thanks for the compliment!**

**Deadkid23: Hehe, thanks for the compliments!**

**Hanzo of the Salamander: Thank you!**

**Fan of Fanfics: Yeah, I couldn't really figure that one our either...you'd figure a crossover would have a pairing consisting of characters from both themes...but that is often not the case. Thanks for the compliments on the story, and I've actually read the first chapter of your story; it certainly has promise, don't doubt your abilities. And...wow, this is your favorite story of all-time?...I'm not sure what to say, other thank I'm honored, and thank you!**

**Ninja bat master: Here you go!**

**Solitare: Ahh, "Digital"...I've read that one, and have greatly enjoyed it. I too am saddened by the time between updates, but I can understand; sometimes life just won't give you any time. Thank you for considering this one of your favorite crossovers, it means a lot to me knowing people enjoy it so much.**

**Firehedgehog: hehe, I know, cliffhangers are cruel, ne?**

**Inuboy86: Thanks for the compliment!**

**Silver Winged King: Hah! I'm so amused that people were so hung up about the cliffhanger!**

**Rockon5002: Heh, and yet another falls to the cliffy! Anyways, thanks for the compliments. As for more of my writing, I have another story that is quickly gaining length, hopefully I'll be releasing a large chapter on it before next Tuesday.**

**Soul Painted Black: I'm honored that you think so highly of my story, and thank you for the compliments!**


	8. Emotions and New Acquaintances

**Right, well here we are once again, with the 8th chapter now underway! First off...I'm sorry for the very long hiatus between this update and last; I will admit my muse decided to take a 'vacation' without informing me. Needless to say I was not happy, and hunted his sorry ass down. Upon finding him, I gave him a simple ultimatum; either get back to work, or I castrate him with a rusty cheese-grater slowly. Needless to say he is now working quite diligently and the story is once more in full-swing. I'm hoping to finish or at least finish a good portion of this chapter tonight...(Thursday)...but ~10,000 words in one night is pushing it, so we'll see. In addition, for those of you who are avid readers of my Harry Potter story, I can promise you I will start the next chapter of that immediately after finishing this one; let's put that lazy muse to work, ne?**

"**You want me to talk into what?**" – Kyuubi speaking, jutsus/digimon attacks

"Get that thing out of my face!" – Normal speaking

'_What the hell was that thing?_' – Thoughts/thinking

'Hello?' **'Hello?'** – Thought-speak

~~~Scene Change~~~ : Obviously denotes a scene change.

-(Location)- : place of current scene.

**Disclaimer : I do not own anything belonging to Naruto or Digimon. However, I DO own this story.**

**-Emotions and new acquaintances-**

All was quiet in the den with the sole exception of the gentle nuances of the running water which slowly trickled into the pool. In one room, the soothing sound had very easily put its residents to sleep, who now simply appeared to be a mass of vibrant yellow and crimson red fur tucked into an alcove within the room itself. The only movement in the room was the gentle rise and fall of the mass, hinting that it was not simply a mass of fur. However, just as the saying goes, all good things must soon come to an end.

-Thud-

The sound came from somewhere outside of the room, but nevertheless it managed to reach the mass of fur. For a moment it seemed as if the sound had no effect...that is until the mass seemed to twitch before resuming its gentle movements a moment later.

-Click-click-click-click-click-click-

The sound of something hard tapping the stone floor followed next, and it seemed to be getting closer to the room. Unlike the last time, this sound managed to draw a considerable action. Almost like a periscope, a long, crimson-furred ear with a black interior rose from the mass of furs and pivoted around for a few seconds before seeming to lock onto some unseen entity beyond the room. One it found its target it almost seemed to quiver; though why was a mystery for now. The clicking got steadily louder and louder, before it abruptly died off just outside the room itself. The appendage seemed to go stone still in apprehension, waiting for what would happen next. When it was quiet for a minute more, it slowly began to retreat back into the depths of the fur, when it finally happened.

-Knock-knock-knock!-

Instantly the ear and its twin shot up and focused on the door of the room, and finally the rest of the pile responded in kind. On the section of the fur which consisted of nine red appendages and one yellow one, two of the red appendages separated, and from within the depths of the pile two glacier-blue eyes with slits peered out into the room itself.

When Naruto initially heard the thud, he had simply put if off as a phantom noise; and he dearly hoped it was. When he heard the clicking, he immediately focused in on its origins, hoping against all hope he was wrong. However, when the door was rapped three times, he knew that his hope had been dashed, and his luck decided to abandon him. He peered out for a few seconds, glaring at the doorway in a vain attempt to make the problem go away, yet he knew it was futile. However he soon turned his attention to other matters as he felt the body his was pressed against move in the tell-tale movements of waking. He frowned at this; he was hoping that the disturbance wouldn't rouse his mate, yet it seemed his hopes were once more ignored.

With a small stretch and a sigh, his mate's eyes slowly cracked open, revealing her own piercing blue eyes. Her eyes slowly swept across the room through the opening in their cloister of fur, and upon seeing nothing of notice her eyes turned to meet Naruto's eyes. After a moment, she finally spoke up...and Naruto could easily tell just how tired she was. Of course he couldn't really blame her; he just _knew_ it was some ungodly hour of the morning, even for him.

"Nngg...Naruto, what's going on, what was that noise?"

Her slurred words made Naruto softly chuckle, and although he most certainly enjoyed her company, he did not want her to suffer from a lack of sleep. With this in mind, he gently nuzzled her and gave her a chaste kiss on the nose before he answered her.

"Nothing you should worry about love, I'll take care of it. All I want from you is for you to go back to sleep."

He was slightly worried that she would refuse to do so and accompany him; they were damn near almost attached at the hip. As the thought crossed his mind he couldn't hold back the small perverse chuckle that escaped...sometimes they really were attached at the hip _literally_. Snapping his mind out of the gutter, he turned his attention back to Renamon. However he didn't need to worry; she still wasn't truly aware enough for her personality to awaken, and thus she simply stayed quiet a few moments before she gave a very short and sleepy answer.

"...mkay."

And just like that, her eyes closed once more and her breathing quickly returned to a slow and steady pace, telling that she was once more asleep. Naruto silently envied her, but he knew that it was either him or her, and although he enjoyed getting his rest just like anyone else, he enjoyed a happy Renamon far more. He had only experienced grumpy Renamon once, and he now did all in his power to make sure such an occurrence did not happen again...after a very close encounter with those ice shards of hers, his little buddies demanded it. With a silent sigh, he slowly unwound himself from her embrace, chuckling as she shivered slightly, obviously missing his warmth. Once he had successfully escaped, he trotted out into the room and slowly stood up, his bones popping in obvious protest. Glancing at his recently acquired digital clock, he saw that it was 2:36 am. Cursing slightly under his breath at the ungodly hour, Naruto blearily approached the door while rubbing his bloodshot eyes...not that someone could tell they were, but he damn well felt it. When he finally got to the door he opened it slowly with a paw, and the sight that greeted him was what he feared, yet had expected.

There, looking as sheepish as he possibly could, was Guilmon. With a weary sigh, Naruto rubbed his eyes with two of his digits, being careful of his sharp claws. If he was honest he was a bit grumpy from being woken up, but he reminded himself that it was his offer that led to the current situation.

-Flashback-

It was a decently warm afternoon when a group of five very tired beings emerged from what appeared to simply be a solid boulder, quickly followed by two others who while certainly appearing tired, did not look near as worn-out as the others. Naruto and Renamon watched with barely hidden amusement as the tamers and their digimon literally dragged their feet at they walked outside of Naruto's den. But while they were greatly amused by the exhausted group, they were also exceedingly proud of them.

For the last two weeks when the tamers and digimon were not in school or fighting wild ones, they were inside Naruto's massive training cavern being put through the ringer by none other than Naruto himself. While they at first thought he was exaggerating the amount of training they would be put through, Naruto quickly alleviated them of such hopeful notions by the end of the first day. Each had lost their respective lunches, breakfasts, and last nights dinners by the time they were done, and by the time he took each of them home, they had given him the nice new moniker of "Sergeant Akuma", also known as "Sergeant Demon". That gave him a great deal of amusement, for although the name was not original by any stretch of the imagination...it was fitting. He did not pull his punches when it came to training; Naruto was dead serious when he said he was going to get them in fighting shape, or surviving shape in the case of the tamers themselves.

When he worked to build their endurance, he made them do laps around the cavern itself. To 'encourage' them to keep up a good pace, he would start slinging kunai at them if they began to falter. Of course he was not aiming at them, however he was aiming _very_ close to them...to the point where they swore he was trying to skewer them. He saw no need to correct their assumptions. Once endurance training was done, he broke them up into two groups; human and digimon. For the digimon he taught them mainly offensive techniques with a few defensive thrown in, and due to the variation in size and structure, taught each a different way to fight. While Renamon did indeed participate, she for the most part was being trained by one of Naruto's clones, as she was far ahead of the others. For the humans, it was almost directly opposite of the digimon. For them he taught mainly defensive and evasive techniques, with dexterity exercises thrown in.

When this was done, they all got together again and then found out that he would be teaching them battle tactics and strategy...when they all breathed a sigh of relief, sans Renamon who simply gave him an annoyed look (knowing he was up to something), Naruto had a very hard time holding in a maniacal cackle. It was not even five minutes into the lesson when Naruto asked one of them a question that they had no clue how to answer. While he indeed did not talk about it directly, the lesson up to that point gave them the knowledge needed to answer; they just had to look for it. Alas, they did not know this and poor Takato answered incorrectly. To his horror, Naruto simply nodded and said with all the nonchalance in the world, "Alright...take a lap, Takato."

When Takato simply stared at him with his mouth hanging open, Naruto merely raised the area where his eyebrow would have been and 'discreetly' lowered his right paw towards one of his kunai pouches. Upon seeing just what Naruto was reaching for, Takato needed no further prompting and took off, with one of Naruto's clones trailing him just in case. Naruto had to focus very hard not to burst out laughing at the looks of utter horror on the faces of the others. However while Naruto had to hold himself back, his father had no such restrictions and was literally howling with laughter inside Naruto's mindscape at the expressions on their faces...Naruto was fun when he trained him, but never did he make such horrified expressions like the group before him did.

Because of this new-found tort..._training_ method that Naruto introduced to them, it was not surprising that after the first week they had become _very_ proficient at deriving hidden meanings from his teachings, which was exactly what he wanted them to do. Although he most certainly taught them all about battle tactics and ways in which they could simply survive an assault from a far more powerful adversary, he also wanted them to be able to combine his tactics with ideas of their own...after all, plans never survive the initial battle if you can't adjust according to the scenario. Before two weeks had passed, he could happily say that they all could adjust tactics in battle accordingly. They were no strategists by any stretch of the imagination, but they were leagues better than the simple "charge in guns blazing" they had been using beforehand. And to top it all off? Due to the questions becoming more difficult as time went on, Naruto could say that his students had a great deal more stamina than before, mainly due to running so many laps.

Naruto was snapped out of his memories when a pair of furry yellow arms wrapped around his midsection and an all-too familiar body pressed up against his from behind. Feeling a weight settle on his left shoulder, Naruto smiled warmly before he turned his head to the side and kissed Renamon on the nose, eliciting an adorable giggle from her. Of course it was barely audible; she didn't want to be heard _giggling_ by any of the tamers or digimon, but Naruto heard nonetheless and smirked in satisfaction. Turning back to the slowly departing tamers and digimon, Naruto's smirk turned into a frown as his attention focused on one figure in particular.

Renamon saw this and wondered what caused the sudden shift in emotions. Following line of sight, she only became even more confused when it became apparent that he was frowning at Guilmon. From what she had been able to see from the past two weeks, Naruto and Guilmon had been getting along fine. She decided to speak up about it, and so with a gentle squeeze on his should grabbed his attention before she spoke.

"Naruto, what's wrong? Why do you look unhappy at Guilmon...did something happen between you two?"

Naruto remained silent for a moment more, wondering if the idea he had would go over well with Renamon. After a few more moments he decided to risk it; she would be impacted by this just as much as he would, after all.

"No, nothing bad happened between us, I'm just worried about Guilmon. Unlike you or Terriermon, Guilmon has to live in that old abandoned shed due to Takato being unable to take him home with him. I'm honestly worried for two reasons...first and foremost is the fact that the last thing he needs is to be all alone so soon after he received Megidramon's memories. I know from experience that being alone is one of the worst tortures imaginable. Secondly, I'm worried about his safety...what if that man...Yamaki if I remember correctly, finds him? He has made it very clear that he wants to destroy any digimon here, and with his organization he just may have the resources to find Guilmon's shed. Because of these two reasons, what I want to do is simple; get him to live in our den." Renamon looked quite surprised at this, but she kept quiet, waiting until he finished to give her response. "If it were simply me by myself in my den it would not have been a big deal...but obviously I am not the only one living there. As such, you have just as much say in this as I do. However, if both you and Guilmon agree I will make an additional room for him; he will not sleep with us. Secondly, I will construct some doors; one for the den's entrance, and one for each bedroom. I will put a silencing seal on all of them so that the only sound that can come through would be a knock on the door itself...considering our late night activities, I think that is for the best, ne?" Naruto finished his argument with a large smirk; one which Renamon quickly returned.

Thinking over what Naruto had told her for a moment, she really couldn't find anything wrong with what he wanted. Sure they'll have company, but considering that the doors would be sound-proof, she didn't really have anything to worry about. Besides, now that Naruto brought it up, she really didn't like the idea of the young dinosaur being left all alone in some rundown shed. Her mind made up, Renamon smiled at Naruto and nodded as she gave her reply.

"I would have no problem with that my mate. You are right when you say he shouldn't be alone, and from what you've told me, Guilmon would be in grave danger if this 'Yamaki' found him alone. Go ahead, just be sure that those sound-proof doors work; we wouldn't want to traumatize him too much, now would we?" Renamon finished with a seductive tone, pressing her body against his even more.

Naruto chuckled at his mate's forwardness...he was in for it tonight, not that he minded. Using her own tactics against her, Naruto spun around in her embrace faster than she was able to keep track of and returned the favor, his body now flush against hers and his paws resting on her lower back. He smiled when he heard the barely audible gasp that escaped her and teased her further, running his paws along her back in a gentle caress. He leaned in closer to her until the tip of his muzzle was right next to one her ears and momentarily let his voice fall into the deeper baritone of his kitsune form, though not as loud.

"**Tonight."**

His voice had the intended effect of making Renamon shudder, and with that he broke from her embrace and turned to where the others were heading off to. When he spotted the red form of Guilmon and Takato's unmistakable hair, he jumped down from where he was perched on a tree and walked towards them while he called out.

"Guilmon! Takato! Can you two come here for a second? I need to talk to you about something."

Both digimon and tamer glanced at each-other in a confused manner, but still nodded and walked back over to where Naruto was waiting for them. Even though Takato had gotten used to seeing Naruto's hybrid form, he still couldn't help the small shudder that passed when those eyes fell on him...Naruto could be _scary_ when he wanted to be. When he heard Naruto clearing his throat, he turned his attention back to the large kitsune, wondering just why they were asked to stay behind.

"Thank you. Now, you're probably wondering just why I asked you two to stay behind?" At their simultaneous nods he continued. "Right. Well I couldn't help but notice that Guilmon is the only Digimon that has to stay alone in that abandoned shed. Before you go and start feeling guilty Takato; don't. I understand that your parents would not take such a thing too well, therefore you were forced to find a place for Guilmon to stay in the meantime...considering the circumstances, you did quite well to house him in the shed; it is well hidden and seemingly forgotten."

Takato grinned sheepishly and scratched the back of his head in embarrassment; it wasn't often that Naruto gave a compliment, after all.

"However, while you did a good job in finding him a place to stay, we have a problem. I have only informed Renamon of this, but I feel it is necessary to inform you both; there is an organization of some sort whose goal is to keep digimon out of this world be any means necessary. While this may seem good at first glance, keep in mind that when I say _all _digimon I mean the tamers' digimon as well, to the extent that they will not hesitate to delete one if they found one."

Ignoring the blanching of the two in front of him, Naruto continued on. "With this being said, I for one am not comfortable with Guilmon being so unprotected. While the hiding place is quite good, there is always the chance that this organization could find it and attack Guilmon; this will not do. It is with this concern in mind that I came up with a possible solution to this problem, and discussed it with my mate to see if she agreed."

Here Renamon took that as her queue and jumped down beside Naruto and leaned against him from behind as he continued. "The solution is this: if you would both be agreeable to it, I would like to ask if Guilmon would want to reside in my den with me and Renamon? Rest assured I will add an additional room and provide the basic necessities needed. Takato, because you are his tamer you have a say in this as well, so what do you two think?"

To say that the two were floored would have been a severe understatement. First they learned that some organization was out for digimon blood regardless of whether the digimon was good or bad, and now to top it off, Naruto, whom had become their _sensei_, wanted Guilmon to live with him and Renamon because he was worried for his safety!

For Takato, he was a bit conflicted. He had been feeling bad because he had to leave Guilmon all alone when he went home, but he wasn't able to do much else. What Naruto offered would definitely make him feel a lot better knowing Guilmon was safe...he had no doubts that their sensei could protect them; according to Renamon they had only seen the very beginnings of Naruto's strength, and to be honest Takato didn't want to know just how strong he was. On the other hand, he really enjoyed the time he spent with Guilmon when they were alone at the abandoned shed. Sure, he had noticed that Guilmon had seemed to calm down a good bit the past few weeks, but he really didn't mind. If Guilmon was going to be living in the den with Naruto and Renamon, they wouldn't really have that time with Guilmon anymore. His mind had a small struggle before he settled on a surprisingly mature decision for one his age, especially him. When it all boiled down, the simple fact was that Guilmon would be much safer under Naruto's watchful eye...and that was the important thing for Takato.

As for Guilmon, he was almost beside himself with joy. He really didn't like staying in that old shed with no one around, but he also knew he had to keep himself hidden and Takato couldn't hide him at his home. This offer not only made sure he could remain hidden easily, but it also took away the pain of loneliness that he had been plagued with the past two weeks ever since the merge happened. He didn't want to bother anyone about it, but the memories of being shunned and basically ignored when he was Megidramon had been wreaking havoc on his psyche. He knew very well that when he was Megidramon he had no problem handling these memories, but the cold hard truth was that he was a kid, barely out of his digiegg. He may have Megidramon's memories, but his personality and a good deal of his maturity was locked away until he was able to digivolve into his higher forms. Because of this, the offer that Naruto gave seemed almost too good to be true. Guilmon was honestly a bit surprised at how well he got along with Naruto, and even more surprised by how much Naruto seemed to care for him, but he certainly didn't mind. Besides, if what he remembered Naruto telling him about his own past was true, the kitsune had been through even worse than what he himself had been through...and he desperately needed someone that could understand him at the moment. His mind made up, he turned his head to look at Takato, wondering what his tamer thought of this. As if Takato read his mind, the boy simply turned and gave him a brilliant smile and nodded; the message was all too clear. Guilmon found himself smiling back, and after he had thanked Takato for allowing it, he answered Naruto's question by simply tackling the large kitsune in a hug just like he had done in the cavern two weeks ago.

Meanwhile, Naruto simply chuckled at the very emotional dinosaur and assumed that Guilmon simply wanted to take advantage of his caring; after all he had an entire lifetime of neglect to make up for. While Naruto returned the hug, albeit with a bit more care, he looked towards Takato and smiled in sincere gratitude. Takato caught the silent thank you and simply smiled and nodded, before he began to walk home once more. Naruto was a bit surprised by the sudden burst of maturity that Takato had shown, and wondered if his lessons were finally starting to sink in...a grin worked itself onto his muzzle at the thought.

As all this was happening, Renamon simply watched the interaction from her position leaning on Naruto from behind. By the end of it, she had a warm smile on her muzzle at just how well Naruto seemed to handle children. This was a good thing, it meant that he would most likely be a very good father. However upon realizing the path that her thoughts had taken, she blushed furiously under her yellow fur...but she didn't stop them. It was something she never had really thought about before, but seeing how well Naruto treated children she couldn't help but to humor the thought.

-End Flashback-

Naruto snapped out of his reverie and turned his attention back to the matter at hand; the sheepish looking dinosaur at his door. Despite the fact that he was a bit miffed being woke up at such an hour, he schooled his expression into what he hoped was a gentle smile and spoke up, his voice effectively giving hint to his fatigue.

"Guilmon...why are you still awake? Is something wrong?"

His initial answer was Guilmon looking even more sheepish than before, but he did catch the slightly haunted look in the digimon's eyes. He might have been tired, but that look in Guilmon's eyes sobered him up; he had a good idea just what Guilmon's problem was. Sure enough, when Guilmon looked back up at him he could tell the dinosaur was just barely holding back tears that threatened to spill, and when Guilmon spoke up, the wavering in his voice conveyed the message all too well for Naruto.

"...Sorry Naruto, but yeah something is wrong. I didn't really want to bother you but you were the only one who I could think of that would understand." Guilmon was about to continue, but Naruto beat him to the punch.

"I think I have a good idea of what's going on here. Let me take a guess: the memories from your past life have been haunting you, and you can't escape the feeling of loneliness...am I right?" When Guilmon simply gaped at him with wide eyes, Naruto chuckled a little, though it was quite hollow. "Right. Lets go to your room Guilmon, its high time that I nipped this issue in the tail." Said dinosaur simply nodded absently as he followed Naruto into his room. The design was practically identical to Naruto and Renamon's room, just a little smaller.

Naruto quickly crawled under the alcove and leaned against the wall, having to struggle not to succumb to the soft furs under him beckoning for him to sleep. Guilmon likewise crawled into the alcove and lied down near the entrance, waiting for Naruto to get settled in. One they were settled, Naruto moved his paws in a "go on" gesture, signaling that Guilmon could begin, which he quickly did.

"Naruto...how did you do it? How did you survive? If what you told me about your childhood was true, then it was even worse than my time as Megidramon...yet you were a child! I may be a child now, but I wasn't back then and the memories still tear me apart! Yet not only were you alone, but you were _tortured!_ What kept you going!"

Guilmon was almost hysterical near the end, desperate to find some way of overcoming the pain he felt. As for Naruto, he was staring at Guilmon with the most haunted look anyone had seen on his muzzle as of yet. Guilmon's small rant brought up memories that he would have rather left alone...but seeing that look on Guilmon's face, he knew he would brave them if it meant it helped Guilmon recover. It was somewhat shocking but it seemed his father was right; he _did _see Guilmon as a child to protect, almost as if he was his own. With a weary sigh, Naruto prepared himself for what he was about to divulge to Guilmon, and hoped that his message would go through.

"You ask how...to be honest Guilmon, I asked myself the same thing every day when I was back in my village, and you know what? I didn't have an answer, at least not a real one. I kept using excuses such as "One day they'll acknowledge me" or "I still have the Old Man!"...but I wasn't fooling anyone, even myself. It wasn't until I was almost five years old that I finally got my answer...and it was in the form of sacrifice."

As he paused to take a breath, he noticed that Guilmon was no longer hysteric, instead listening with rapt attention. With a sigh he continued, not really wanting to remember but doing so for the sake of Guilmon. "It was just a normal evening, nothing special was happening and I was running from yet another mob of villagers that were hellbent on "finishing what the Yondaime started", also known as killing me. However unlike the nights before, I decided to try my luck at evading them outside of the village's walls. If it was any other child trying to get outside the village at night the gate guards would have quickly stopped them. However because it was me and the guards saw the mob, they simply let me pass with smirks on their faces; they knew what was going to happen. Just as they predicted, I was eventually caught when one of them managed to spear my left calve with a kunai. I won't go into detail, but the beating I went through that night was the worst, sans the one the night I left. When I was barely recognizable, the apparently got bored and decided to finish me off, and as I watched a civilian raise the butcher knife he held to stab me, I honestly thought my time had come."

Here Naruto gathered himself for what he was about to say, while Guilmon was now fully immersed in the story, though Naruto could see he was horrified by what he had been told so far. "Just before the civilian was about to plunge the knife into my chest, I and everyone else there heard a vicious snarl just before I made out something orange and furry that proceeded to tackle the civilian. A good bit of the mob cried out in fright before they realized what it was, and when they did their cries of fear soon turned into shouts of anger. I was barely conscious, but I could make out that whatever helped me was some kind of canine from what I could hear. Its appearance caused the mob's attention to momentarily shift from me to it, and in doing so undoubtedly saved my life. However, such a noble deed exacted a heavy price; the mob turned its full wrath upon the poor creature and proceeded to beat it until I no longer heard its pained yelps. After that, they were quick to turn their attention back to me, but the time the creature bought me was enough so that the Hokage and his ANBU escort were quickly approaching. With a few more icy glares sent my way, the mob quickly dispersed and I was momentarily left alone with the creature that had saved me. With all the strength I could muster I dragged myself over to where I could see the orange mass of fur, though I was horrified by the amount of blood around it. When I was finally next to it I was able to identify what it was; a fox. I was completely devastated; this was the first time that someone had ever tried to save me, and I was witnessing what the price of doing so was. With muffled sobs I dragged myself over to the fox's side and drew its head to my chest when I saw that it was still breathing, albeit very weakly. I looked to see if it was awake and froze; it was looking at me with the most serene expression I had ever seen, as if what just happened to it never happened. Even more shocking was the fact that those eyes held a caring that I did not understand at the time...but do now. Confused, I could only mumble "Why?" over and over again, and as if in response, the fox simply moved its head closer to mine and gently licked my cheek. After that, I watched as it seemed to shudder for a moment before its eyes slowly closed and its breathing stopped, still with the most serene expression on its face as it passed on, knowing that I would live."

At this Naruto couldn't hold the tears back and let them fall...it was one of his worst memories, but also one which changed his life forever. Guilmon didn't even try to stop them, the poor dinosaur looked like someone just told him Takato died. Naruto saw this and decided to get to the point of the story, not wanting to make Guilmon suffer longer than needed.

"Even when the Hokage arrived I didn't let go of the fox, not until it was buried. Afterwords as I sat in my apartment I kept asking that same question "Why?". It was as I remembered the serene look on its face that I came upon an epiphany. As I was asking "Why?" the fox was giving me an answer of its own with its eyes..."Why not?". You see Guilmon, that foxed saved my life simply because it was the right thing to do. It saw someone that had done nothing wrong being beaten, and acted for me when I could not. It was then that I found my answer...how I survived in the village that entire time. I wanted to live so that when the time came, I could do just as that fox had done; protect those who could not protect themselves from those that would do them unjust harm. To this day, this has been my motto and the methods by which I now lead my people. I will protect the innocent from those that would harm them, regardless of their views, loyalties, or species...even humans. I will tell you now Guilmon, that I will never trust humans that I do not personally know; too much has been done and too many wounds have been dealt that will never heal. However, that will not stop me from protecting innocent ones; I may not be friendly to them, but I will protect them. That is what kept me going until I finally met my father for the first time, after which I had another goal; to gain a family and protect them with my very soul."

Here Naruto fixed Guilmon with an intense look that made the dinosaur sit up straighter. "I want you to listen to me very carefully Guilmon, and never forget these words. Find someone to protect; to love and cherish, to care for to the point that you would gladly lay your life down if it meant preserving theirs. It can be many people or even just one, but when you find them...if you haven't already...latch onto them and never let go; it is only then that you will find solace from your woes. No matter the obstacle that you find yourself faced with; if you are fighting to protect the ones you love, _nothing_ is out of your reach. The earth itself will bow to you in submission, should your cause be just and your resolve absolute." Naruto ended with a calm smile on his face...it had been some time since he had reaffirmed his code.

For Guilmon, he listed with an intensity that would have shocked anyone who knew his childish facade. By the time Naruto finished, Guilmon was gazing at him with open awe...it was undeniable now, Guilmon had just found his role model. What Naruto had told him made sense, and already he was listing some people that he would "latch on to"...one of which was laying in the same pile of furs. However, he was curious about one thing and decided to voice it.

"Naruto...I know that Renamon is one of your loved ones, but are there any more?"

Naruto smiled softly at Guilmon's question...there was indeed. "Oh yes, there are a few more. My first loved one is my father, who dragged me out of my own personal hell and taught me what love was. Obviously my mate, Renamon is another. Though there is still a ways to go, Rika is quickly approaching as yet another. And finally there is one more, and he is already a loved one, though he does not know it yet." Here Naruto gifted him with a warm smile on his muzzle. "The last one is none other than you, Guilmon."

Guilmon gaped at him for a moment before he stuttered out in a shaky voice, "M-Me? W-Why me?"

His response was a chuckle and an affectionate rub on Guilmon's skull before Naruto responded verbally. "There are a few reasons why. First of all, your past is shockingly similar to my own; while it may not have been as abusive it was nonetheless hellish, and as such we understand each-other very well. Secondly, your personality is so damn close to my own when I was a kit its scary...its like I'm looking at a red, scaly version of me as a child. The last reason is due to a combination of the previous two; I see you as my son in a way. While it is not a true father-son feeling, it is the closest thing I can compare it to; I want to protect you and watch over you, I want to watch you grow into the digimon I know you can be...like I said, very similar to a father."

Guilmon didn't even bother to respond to his words verbally, he just (once again) slammed into Naruto with what would have been bone-crushing force to a human. Naruto returned it readily, laughing at how touchy Guilmon was, but he really didn't mind. They remained that way for a few minutes more before Naruto got Guilmon's attention again.

"Now then, did that help?" When he received a nod in reply, Naruto smiled before he spoke again. "Good. Now then, you are going to go back to sleep, and I will make sure of it. To make sure you sleep well, I will stay here with you for tonight...morning. Don't expect this to happen often, but its a special case right now." Guilmon didn't even have time to voice his opinion on the matter before Naruto got on all fours and did something that shocked and embarrassed the hell out of him. Naruto gently clamped his jaws on the loose skin located on the upper back of Guilmon and lifted him into the air by it. Immediately, Guilmon instinctively tucked in his limbs before he realized what he was doing and was blushing furiously in embarrassment by the time Naruto set him down in the center of the furs. With a small grumble Guilmon got comfortable and once he was well-situated, Naruto curled around his body protectively before encasing Guilmon is his nine long tails. After that it did not take long for both to find sleep once more; which Naruto was all too happy to return to.

Unbeknownst to Naruto and Guilmon, Kyuubi had been awake for the entire interaction, having been awoken by the turbulent emotions of his son. He had the proudest grin on his muzzle that should have split his face in two as he watched his son comfort Guilmon, and give him very good advice. When they both were finally asleep, Kyuubi couldn't have been more proud of his son. _**'My kit's all grown up...he may not have realized it, but his code is exactly what defines a great leader; one that will be loved by the people he serves. On top of that, he truly cares for Guilmon as a father would. Naruto, you will shake the heavens themselves with the deeds you will perform, and I can't wait to be there **__**with you when it happens. Rest well my kit, and know that today you proved yourself a worthy leader of our people.'**_

Back with Renamon, after unconsciously trying and failing to find the warm body that should have been pressed against her own, she finally woke up with a huff. _'Where in the world is Naruto? I remember him getting up to take care of something...Guilmon probably, but he should have been back by now!'_ Grumbling under her breath about stupid cold floors and stupid doors, Renamon made her way to Guilmon's room, where she could only assume Naruto was still helping Guilmon with whatever was bothering him. However when she quietly opened the door to the room, the sight that greeted her was enough to banish any any further grumblings. Naruto was there alright; asleep and curled protectively around Guilmon, who had his snout buried in Naruto's chestfur..it was the only thing visible of the dinosaur, as the rest of him was covered by Naruto's tails. She smiled warmly at the sight and once more, thoughts of how Naruto would make a good father rose up within her mind but she didn't become embarrassed by them this time...if it was possible, she was really beginning to consider it. Without further ado, she promptly got on all fours and trotted over to the bed of furs before she too joined them, wrapped around Guilmon from the other direction with the tip of her muzzle no more than an inch away from Naruto's. Just like with Naruto and Guilmon, Renamon quickly found herself asleep once more.

~~Scene Change~~

Naruto awoke a mere three hours later, and was greeted to the sight of his mate's muzzle a mere inch from his own. He smiled, figuring she probably got cold and decided to join them upon finding them. Quietly and carefully, Naruto slipped out from Guilmon's unconscious embrace and replaced his tails with Renamon's far bushier single tail to warm Guilmon. He quickly made his way back to his and Renamon's room, where he noticed it was only a few minutes until 6:00 am...the sun would be rising soon and he decided he wanted to see it, it always soothed him. He quickly and quietly ate a rabbit and washed before he changed back to his 'human' form and donned his armor and weapons once more. With a smile on his face he opened the entrance to the den and entered the surrounding forest, searching for a good spot to view the sunrise.

However he was surprised when he picked up the unmistakable energy signature of a digimon, and one he did not recognize. To further add to his confusion, he felt no emergence...if it was a wild one, he would have easily sensed the emergence, yet this time he did not. Now curious, Naruto trailed the signature until he came upon what appeared to be a human couple with the same idea as him, sitting on a bench and waiting for the sunrise. Making himself well hidden, Naruto kept his eyes focused and his body ready to react; he had no idea of the digimon's intentions, but he would be damned before he let this couple be hurt, even if they were humans. He could sense the digimon sneaking up behind the couple, and he tensed even further, ready to stop this digimon if he needed to. However when the digimon finally stepped into his view, Naruto stopped in his tracks, staring at the...odd little digimon behind the couple.

The first and foremost detail he noticed was that the majority of its body seemed to be a deep purple color and gleamed as it it was rubber. Second, the little guy had two very long protrusions coming out of his head, and although they really didn't look like it, he assumed they were his ears. On the digimon's stomach a...smiley face was displayed for the world to see. From behind he could see a barbed tail sway lightly, the same color as the rest of his body. Around its neck a red scarf resided, and it donned two red gloves as well. Its face was highlighted in white, and it had large, green irises. But what Naruto notices most of all was the expression on the digimon's face; that was the look of a prankster. That put him somewhat at ease, but he was still ready to react.

Sure enough, with a huge smirk on his face, the little guy held up his fingers and a tiny fireball formed on the tips of each one. With a cackle, the digimon launched them at the feet of the couple, yelling out, **"Badda-Boom!"** as he did so. It was very obvious to Naruto that the attack had very little attack power behind it, but it served its purpose. With a flash and the sound of a loud cherry-bomb going off, the tiny fireballs exploded at the feet of the couple, causing both to jump up screaming in fright. Just as quickly, the couple bolted, not even bothering to look at whatever caused the explosion. Naruto's attention was quickly brought back to the little digimon when he heard its laughter, and found that the little guy was laughing his ass off in the middle of the sidewalk at the couple's misfortune.

"HA-HA! That's what I thought, run you weak little humans! Badda-Boom! That'll teach ya to get all schmoozy when I'm around!"

Now thoroughly amused and reassured that the little guy was practically harmless, Naruto decided it was high-time to get some answers. He quietly made a few hands signs before he sank into the bark of the tree he occupied, only to emerge from a tree a few meters behind the digimon. One he was positioned, he decided to make his presence known.

"Well now...just what exactly are you? You don't act like a wild one, and yet I don't see a tamer around here anywhere."

At the sound of his voice, the little digimon damn near jumped out of his skin before spinning around to view who snuck up on him. However, when he did the admittedly fearsome appearance of a fully armored Naruto caused him to take a step back. Just as quickly, the little guy seemed to gather his courage once more and took two steps forward before scowling and pointing an accusing finger at Naruto.

"Hey! Just who do ya think you are punk, sneaking up on people like that, huh? And what's with the getup, Halloween won't be around for a long time buddy!"

Underneath his mask Naruto smirked...he had to give it to the little guy, he had spunk. To not only stand up to him but insult his armor in the same sentence, just moments after meeting him...his respect for the digimon went up a few notches. However, he was asked a question and decided to play along for now.

"That's funny, for one who complains about people sneaking up on him, you obviously had no qualms about doing such to that couple. That reminds me...just why _did_ you do that?"

The digimon blushed slightly at being caught at his own game, but quickly crossed his arms and smirked proudly as he answered the question.

"Whaddya mean why? I did it because I wanted to, because it was fun! I didn't hurt em, and still the weak humans ran away like little kids! Now that I think about it, how do you know what I am? I don't see one of those devices on ya, and as far as I know you humans shouldn't know much about us digimon. And for the record, I'm not one of those stupid wild ones!"

Naruto sighed as once again, people mistook him for a human...I mean really, was the _slitted eyes_ that hard to notice? However, he was now curious about the little guy.

"Well, I suppose I can understand wanting to have a little fun, and no harm came of it anyways. As for being human...why is it that no-one notices the slitted eyes until I point them out?" Impmon's eyes immediately snapped to his at his statement and widened as he finally noticed that indeed, Naruto's eyes were slitted. "As to why I know about digimon...lets just say I have a few as...acquaintances. Now then, what do I call you purple one?"

The little digimon growled at what he thought was a barb directed at him, but decided to answer before he showed the guy who he was messing with.

"The name's Impmon, and don't you forget it! Oh and for calling me purple one, I got a little present for ya!" Naruto merely watched curiously as the newly named Impmon summoned two rings of fire that surrounded him and then summoned a fireball the size of a soccer ball that floated in front of the now smirking Impmon. With a cry of** "Infernal Funnel!"**, Impmon launched the decently sized fireball at Naruto, but was surprised when the guy didn't even attempt to move out of the way.

However, his surprise soon turned into shock when Naruto calmly held out his right hand and some type of red energy leaked from it and _caught_ his attack with practiced ease before he began to study it.

Naruto observed the fireball in his hands as he turned it to look at it from all sides, a little impressed that a rookie digimon of Impmon's size had managed to dredge up a fireball of this size.

"Hmm...a decent size, good solid sphere, could be a bit hotter, but overall not bad for a rookie digimon. If I had been a human I would have been feeling a little crispy, I'd imagine. And since you gave me your name I will give you mine: it is nice to meet you Impmon, my name is Naruto." As he finished, he simply crushed the fireball in-between his hands, while small wisps of smoke drifted out of where it used to be.

Impmon was highly unnerved by the ease with which this "Naruto" character snuffed out his most powerful attack; he had always listened to his instincts, and right now they were telling them it was time to leave. Of course, that didn't mean he would run; he had an image to uphold after all!

"Ok...Naruto. I suppose it was nice to meet ya as well, but I gotta jet. You know; places to be, people to scare and all that. Badda-Boom!" And with that, Impon made what he considered a tactical retreat...he needed to find out more about this Naruto guy before he did anything else.

As for Naruto, he just watched as Impmon quickly jumped back into the woods around him. He could tell he unnerved the little guy, but he had to give credit when credit was due; Impmon had guts to stand up to him like that, and he wouldn't mind meeting the little guy again. Once Impmon was out of sight Naruto looked over at the now vacant bench and smiled, it was a perfect spot to watch the sunrise. With a sigh Naruto sat down and spread out his senses, making sure that no-one was around to see him. He thoroughly enjoyed watching the black sky soon give way to shades of deep velvet, which in turn gave way to lighter colors until it looked like the entire sky was lit in a vibrant flame. Finally at the climax of the flame-like sunrise the sun itself broke the horizon, throwing its rays across the waking world and bathing Naruto's face in morning's first warm rays of sunshine. He stayed that was a few more minutes before he stood up and began to walk back towards the den at a leisurely pace; the occupants should be waking up soon.

Naruto was so concentrated on detecting any human signatures in the area that he did not detect the almost unnoticeable trace of digital energy quickly approaching him. However this problem was quickly remedied when something white and round latched itself onto his face. Naruto nearly stabbed whatever it was in reflex before he managed to stop himself, and thought rationally; if it had meant him harm it would have done more than hug his face. He slowly reached up with both of his hands and pried the giggling mass of his face with a gentle tug. When he got a look at what it was he had to fight not to face-fault...this little digimon looked like some type of plushie! Before he could even ask a question, the digimon giggled once more before the now identified male spoke up.

"Hi! I'm Calumon, want to play a game with me?"

**Ending Notes**: There you have it, chapter 8 complete! I know there wasn't much action at all in this one, but its main purpose was to further develop the character of Guilmon and the relationship he will share with Naruto and by association, Renamon. As you can see, more of the cast is slowly being introduced, and it won't be long before some familiar faces are introduced. As promised, since I am now finished with this chapter I will be working diligently on the new chapter in my Harry Potter story for those of you that are interested. Now then, onto review answers!

**CajinAsian: Don't worry, Naruto won't be dissected by those beams, lol.**

**Ninja bat master: Yes Guilmon will, but I can't really tell any more without possibly spoiling the ploy for later on. Naruto's not a demon, therefore cannot give a "demon mating bite". There will be some changes that will happen eventually, but they will not be my accident nor easy to achieve. No, Naruto won't alter the cards any, he trains the tamers and digimon in battle tactics, fighting styles and survival. Nope, I didn't plan on her signing the contract, but she will meet them eventually. As for the story plead...sorry man, I already told you guys I'm running two stories at the same time maximum. On top of that, I have to many plot-bunnies floating around inside my head for Naruto and Harry Potter crossovers is not even funny. Thank you for your consistent reviews, and I enjoy your stories as well.**

**Trife: The parents will indeed take notice of their children's changes soon enough, and Naruto will eventually have to confront them...but that is for another time. Thank you for your reviews, and I'm glad you enjoy the story.**

**Solitare: Hmm...rankings you say? I would have to say his human form could take on an ultimate adequately, and would be very hard pressed to defeat a weak mega. His hybrid form would be capable of taking out virtually any mega without too much effort, but would have a very hard time taking on a sovereign, mainly due to sheer size difference. As for his true kitsune form...the difference in power between that and his hybrid form is like comparing a civilian to Pein...the difference is nigh infinite. Rest assured, there is a reason the Kyuubi was chosen as the leader of the Tailed Beasts.**

**Magician Girl Mirani: Hey there, nice to hear from you again! If you like the interaction between Naruto and Guilmon in chapter 7, then you probably loved this one lol. As for Renamon's relationship to Guilmon, such will soon reveal itself in the following chapters.**

**Fan of Fanfics: Good job paying attention to the details! I had forgot about that episode...but worry not, such things will eventually be explained. Oh and sorry for the long wait, but as I said above my muse decided to take a hike and not tell me...he's paying for it now though :D**

**Vandenbz: Don't worry, Takato and Guilmon will still be able to bio when the time comes, though into what will be a secret.**

**Drakean: Yes, Naruto will most certainly have a showdown with a sovereign. I have a feeling that a lot of people are looking forward to that, lol.**

**Gallantmon228: Hey there, good to hear from you again! I've already answered your question about my Harry Potter story in a private message, so I'll just move onto your last one. No, this story will not have lemons in it, though Naruto and Renamon will get pretty damn close to it. The main reason for the rating in this story is for the blood, gore, and language. The fight scenes with the gang members and Yamaki are one the tip of the iceberg.**

**Narudevilfan: As stated before, I won't be writing any lemons in any of my stories. Sorry to all those out there that were hoping for it, but I write relationships, not smut. I'm not putting down authors who write such, I'm just saying its not my style. However worry not, there will be plenty of...heated encounters and sexual innuendos.**

**Light Lord Cybergate: Not to worry, I'll take my time when I write the fight scene between Naruto and a sovereign when the time comes, as it seems everyone is itching for it lol.**

**DIGI-MASTER-FAN: Nope, no lemons. As for Gallantmon or the equivalent...you'll see :P**

**thegoldensneak: Naruto's armor does conform to his kitsune form. The only form it doesn't conform to is his true form, due to the sheer size difference. As for why he doesn't act like he's a digimon, its mainly due to what he is. Kitsune are extemely prideful of what they are, and to deny such would be insulting for them. Deceit is one thing, denying one's race is another. As for him interacting in the human world, do not worry, I will eventually write a "filler" chapter of sorts that will include such...the chapter will mainly be used for humorous situations.**

**Yomikage Kazuma: Thanks for reviewing once more! Now as for your questions: I plan on taking this story well past the D-Reaper, and quite possibly up to or beyond Yggdrasil. So yeah...the way things are going, this just may very well be 300k+ long, if not more. And don't even get me started on my Harry Potter story...guh, it'll probably make the the Lord of the Rings book series look short...dunno, but I have _lots_ of plans for that one. As for Naruto going to the digital world soon...probably not. Remember, he still has to go through all of devas. Didn't plan on any other pairings at the moment.**


	9. The Day Off

**Alright, chapter 9 is here! Now before we begin I want to clarify some things. There have been a few of you that queried on Naruto's strength and how it may be too strong. I will admit, he is basically a demigod in terms of power...HOWEVER, do keep in mind that _everything_ can be defeated if you know how. If you need further clues, I'll give you a hint; while he may have an insane healing rate, his flesh is just that; flesh. Just because he is damn near power incarnate doesn't mean he has steel skin; if I implemented that I would most certainly be overpowering him. I won't say any more on the topic though...I don't want to tell you the future plot after all! One more thing before I start the chapter; I was bored a few days ago and decided to look at my stats, and was quite pleased to see that this story has over 30,000 views...that's kick ass! I was duly impressed by the number, yet at the same time something occurred to me; I did a little number crunching and found that on average, only 0.6% of the people that read it review...and its actually far less, due to a large number of the reviews belonging to about a dozen people who consistently review...so its more like 0.4%, meaning less that _one_ person out of every 200 that read it review. Now, I'm not a vain person, but stats like that say a few things to me: 1. Either I'm doing something really bad and you just couldn't bear writing a review, or I'm doing something so good you saw no need. 2. In reality I just have a very small base of readers that like to continuously click on the story to rack up view count...unlikely but possible. Or 3. I really don't want to even suggest this, but I don't lie to my readers; a vast majority are just too lazy to do so. All I ask is that if you like my story, say so! Hell it doesn't even have to be eloquent, you can simply put in a blunt "cool story." and I'll be happy, because it lets me know that you guys are enjoying it. No reviews = me wondering if you guys even enjoy it. On the flip side, if you _don't_ like it, state as much; however unlike the other, I request that you give a reason why. If there are enough complaints on a specific aspect of the story, you may just very well make me look back and see what you're talking about; if I think its a good point, I will change it. Look back at past review responses, I've done it before. Now then, I think I've taken up enough of your time, onto the story!**

"**You want me to talk into what?**" – Kyuubi speaking, jutsus/digimon attacks

"Get that thing out of my face!" – Normal speaking

'_What the hell was that thing?_' – Thoughts/thinking

'Hello?' **'Hello?'** – Thought-speak

~~~Scene Change~~~ : Obviously denotes a scene change.

-(Location)- : place of current scene.

**Disclaimer : I do not own anything belonging to Naruto or Digimon. However, I DO own this story.**

**-The Day Off-**

Naruto stared at the little plushie-esque digimon in front of him for a few moments as his mind wrapped around what the little guy wanted. When he finally succeeded in doing such, both his expression and his tone gave away his incredulity.

"You want me...to play a game. With you." Naruto was honestly surprised that his eyebrow hadn't started twitching yet.

'giggle' "Yup!"

….apparently his incredulity was lost on the living plushie. Naruto set the digimon on the ground as he contemplated what to do..._play_? When the hell was the last time he _played_? For that matter, has he really ever played? Going through his memories, Naruto was somewhat shocked to realize that no, he had in fact never played in his life. During his time in Konoha, any and all attempts at playing at a playground were firmly crushed with brutal finality. When he was training with his father for all those years he certainly had fun...but that was when he was training, not playing. And now that he was in this new world, he had been busy making his new home, training himself and his students, and finding love.

The entire time Naruto was having his little introspection, Kyuubi had been subtly listening in, his sorrow growing as Naruto went through his entire life and realized that he had never played _once_...what was considered life itself to children up until hormones kicked in during their teenage years, Naruto never experienced. Once. Kyuubi _really_ wanted to bang his head against the nearest tree, but he knew that in doing so it would give away his eavesdropping. Instead he mentally berated himself for never realizing that Naruto had been a child...well actually he did realize such, but at the time all he wanted was for his son to grow stronger so he could protect himself.

As his father was mentally beating himself, Naruto was completely oblivious to it, still lost in his own contemplations. However the feeling of something poking his leg quickly drew him out of his mind as he looked at the one who caused it; Calumon. _'Ah...right. He wants to play. Hmm...well it should work.'_ Nodding to himself, Naruto turned his attention back to Calumon and replied.

"Sure, I'll play. What do you want to...what's that?" At his declaration, Naruto dramatically pointed his finger to a random spot behind Calumon and the little guy fell for it hook, line, and sinker as he whipped around in response. Naruto quickly created a reinforced shadow clone that could take a few hits and then blurred out of view, leaving a gaping clone behind.

When Calumon turned back around after seeing noting special, he was somewhat confused by the big guy. Why was he looking at the trees like they ate his favorite candy? Well, he was going to find out!

"I didn't see anything, I think you were imagining things! Oh and hey, why are you looking at those trees funny?"

As Calumon was asking him questions, the clone was using every explicative he knew to curse his creator. _'That son of a bitch! He dumped the whole damn deal on me! Ohhh if only he couldn't dispel me, his sorry ass would be mine! How the hell am I supposed to play, I don't even know what that really is!' _Heaving a _very_ weary sigh, the reluctant clone turned back to Calumon and spoke.

"Ah...guess you were right, must have been my imagination. And I heard a weird sound from the trees, that's all."

When the little guy didn't seem to be buying it, the clone quickly decided a difference approach was needed.

"Anyways, what did you want to play?"

The absolutely_ huge_ grin he got in response sent off warning klaxons everywhere within the clone, and the answer he was given seemed to make his spine freeze, even though he had never heard of it before.

"Absolute Soccer!"

~~~Scene Change~~~

Naruto quietly snickered to himself as he descended down the passageway to his den. Silently he thanked whatever being came up with such a genius technique such as shadow clones; they were so useful! While he did feel it bit sorry for the clone he left behind, he considered it a necessary sacrifice. When he finally reached what had become the living room of his den, he was somewhat surprised to find no one there; usually everyone was up and about by now. Sure, it may have been due to him dragging them out of bed physically quite a few times these past few weeks, but still! However upon entering what was now Guilmon's room and seeing that Renamon had apparently taken his role as a pillow, any devious thoughts of how to wake them up withered and died a painful death. Instead, Naruto changed back into his hybrid form and rejoined them as quietly and gently as he could, after which he simply laid there contently, glad to finally have a family he could call his own. It may have been an...odd family, what with the practically adopted red dinosaur, but it was one nonetheless.

By the time the other occupants of the fur bed began to stir, Naruto knew it was nearing noon. The first to show signs of life was Guilmon, and after a bit of squirming his eyelids slowly opened, only to quickly snap open in shock when he realized his head was lying against white fur that was breathing. Guilmon quickly shot upright, jostling Renamon a bit, but before he could freak out any further, a familiar red furred paw caught him on the shoulder as Naruto spoke up.

"Easy there Guilmon. Don't worry its just Renamon; she apparently decided to join us last night. She'll be up in a minute if her squirming is any indication, we'll talk then."

When Guilmon calmed down, Naruto decided to give his mate a little scare when she woke up. He quickly but quietly laid down beside her with his muzzle right in front of her own and waited until she woke. Sure enough, not even a minute later his mate opened those beautiful eyes of hers and he watched in amusement as they slowly focused in on his own.

"Mmph...Naruto? What's with that look you're giving me? And what time is it anyways?"

Trying his very best to keep an emotionless expression on his muzzle and a hint of disapproval in his voice, Naruto replied in a very blasé manner.

"Ohhh I don't know...if I had to guess I would say its almost noon. Have a good sleep, did we?" The look on her muzzle almost made him break right then and there, but he held strong.

As Naruto finished his sentence in an...odd tone, Renamon's still slightly-sluggish mind pieced together what he said, and one thing stood out more than all the rest of that sentence. Eyes widening in horror, Renamon desperately hoped it was a dream. _'Noon. I-Its noon? Oh sovereigns save me, Naruto literally dragged us out of bed if we were five minutes late...the longer we slept, the worse it got. I should have been awake nearly five hours ago! Damn damn damn!' _

Naruto watched as Renamon's eyes widened in horror and heard her heartbeat pick up rapidly...he could just imagine what horrors she was concocting in her mind. As this thought passed through his head, Naruto could no longer contain himself and broke down laughing. When he literally rolled on the furs in laughter, he managed to see that Guilmon's muzzle had adopted a horror-stricken look as well, apparently coming to the same conclusion. This put him completely over the edge and Naruto clutched his ribs in pain as he tried to breath through his gasping laughs, all the while with tears of mirth streaming down his muzzle.

As quickly as their horror had come, it was soon replaced by looks of confusion as Naruto continued to howl with laughter. They wanted to ask why he was laughing but they dared not disturb him; a happy Naruto meant that their punishments would _hopefully_ be less severe. Fortunately for them, Naruto had managed to calm down enough so that he could speak.

"Ah-ha...ahh damn that was good! Don't look so frightened! I know that usually I would be running you into the ground by now due to you sleeping in...however you're in luck! You all have worked very hard the past few weeks, and I think a day off is in order. Guilmon, I know you've been dying to spend some time with Takato, so go wash and eat, then I'll take you to him."

Both Digimon simply stared at Naruto for a few moments but once it finally clicked, Guilmon wasted no time in dashing to the washroom thanking whatever higher being he could think of on the way. As for Renamon, she stared at him a few moments more before something seemed to click and her eyes narrowed. Before Naruto could ask what was wrong, Renamon bopped the back of his head with her paw and spoke up.

"Jerk! That's what you get for scaring the life out of me!"

Naruto rubbed the back of his head sheepishly at her statement and quickly responded back.

"Aww come on, it was too much to pass up. On top of that I'm a kitsune, pranking is what we do!"

Renamon's response was to simply turn away from him and cross her arms while she pouted. Because she did this she failed to see the devious smirk Naruto now wore; if there was one thing you shouldn't do, its turn your back on a mischievous kitsune. With speeds and grace that only Naruto had access to, his form seemed to disappear from view and phase back into existence right behind Renamon. Renamon's pout was quickly replaced by a gasp as Naruto spooned his entire body against her own while reaching around and burrowing his claws within her bushy chest-fur. While this action may have seemed harmless considering the fact that she was a fox, what people did not know was that Renamon's generous amount of chest-fur concealed a just as generous pair of breasts. In fact, the only one who knew of this besides herself was her mate who just so happened to be the one currently busying himself by fondling them.

'_gasp_' "N-Naruto, what are you d-doing? Not here, not no-"

Any semblance of speech quickly left Renamon as Naruto began to nibble the sides of her neck; not hard enough to hurt, but just enough to where it sent waves of euphoria through Renamon's body. Naruto smirked deviously as he saw her reaction to his efforts; oh yes, he knew all about his mate's hot spots and how to use them. Continuing his ministrations, Naruto leaned over his mate's ear and spoke softly.

"Shhhh...I told you already that I'm giving all of us the day off. Do you have a better idea of something to do with our day?"

While his words and the tone by which he spoke them made Renamon very, _very_ reluctant to pull away, she knew she had to if they didn't want to traumatize Guilmon. He may have had the memories of Megidramon, but from what they could tell, the dragon had most likely never indulged in such acts himself. Besides now that Naruto mentioned it, there had been something that she had wanted to do with him. With a reluctant sigh, Renamon managed to pry herself from her mate's sensual embrace, almost laughing at the pout that he now wore.

"As much I would like to Naruto, we both know that Guilmon is literally only a room over. If he happened to walk in here when we were doing anything...inappropriate, _you_ would be the one giving him The Talk."

Naruto's face seemed to blanch, regardless of the fact that he was covered in crimson fur. That was no idle threat...The Talk was something that any sane being feared having to give to one so young. Ignoring the snickering in the back of his head, Naruto quickly switched gears.

"N-No need for that Rena-chan, I'm listening. What is it that you had in mind?"

Renamon carefully considered how she was going to brook this idea to Naruto. She knew very well that the way in which she brought it up would determine whether or not he would accept. Composing herself, she addressed her mate with a calm and steady voice, belying the swarm of nervousness that she felt.

"Hear me out fully before you say anything Naruto...but I had hoped that we could go out today; there are many things I'd like to show you if you'd let me."

At first Naruto didn't get the reason for her careful tones, but the utter silence from his father combined with the way that she said _out_ caused Naruto to figure out just what she meant. As a result, he was unable to hold back how he initially froze in place and how his breath hitched in his throat, but was able to compose himself to some semblance of calm before he did anything out of place and disappoint his mate.

Seeing that Naruto had managed to keep his calm despite his well-deserved reluctance, Renamon gave him a grateful smile in return before she continued.

"Thank you for remaining calm Naruto, that alone tells me how much you want to make me happy. Now then, on that note I want you to be happy as well...and even though this is a very nice den, and your massive training complex is becoming more and more beautiful as time goes on, the fact remains that besides the occasional wild one coming through, you are essentially hiding from the world. I know that when you were in your world there were vast tracts of wild land between human settlements and as such you could effectively isolate yourself from them, but that was there, not here. Whether you realize it or not, this world is almost overflowing with humans; the only places that they do not occupy are areas that are uninhabitable to most life here, such as the deserts, high mountainous areas and the frozen lands located at the poles of this world. Everywhere else, humans reside in one form or another."

Judging by how Naruto's eyes continued to widen to the point where it looked like they would pop out, Renamon assumed correctly that he had simply thought he was in an unusually concentrated area. The fact that he was essentially _surrounded_ by humans was obviously having a large effect on her mate; nevertheless she continued.

"With this in mind, the only way that you could successfully avoid most human interaction would be if you went to those uninhabitable areas I mentioned before or if you simply entrenched yourself in this den, which I refuse to allow you to do. I may have only been your mate for a few months now, but one of the things I know you love is being outside. You can't do this without encountering at least some humans, and I've noticed that it left you uncomfortable every time; we need to fix that. The solution I have is simple and will be more bearable because not only will you hopefully have a good time, but I will be right by your side every step; spend some time in the city. I have a few places I want to show you, and each will have a large amount of humans within them." And with that, Renamon fell into silence; it was up to Naruto now.

Speaking of which, the red-furred kitsune was currently deep in thought over what Renamon had said. _'I never realized just how populated this world is...to think that humans cover so much of it fills me with unease, but there is little I can do about it. However what she said is true; if I want to remain content I need to be outside at least a little bit, and I can't avoid coming into contact with humans. I could merely guise myself with a genjutsu or an illusion, but the fact would remain that I would be amongst humans whether they know it or not. It makes sense that I should try to get used to being around so many humans but...' _Giving a mental sigh, Naruto knew he had lost when he couldn't really find a good reason why he couldn't do as Renamon asked. New world, new humans...although the few he had met with the exception of the tamers certainly didn't leave a good impression. _'Sigh' 'If anyone else had asked me I would have outright denied the request, but this is my mate, the love of my life. Who'd have thought...me, the new leader of the Tailed Beasts and head of the Kitsune Clan, would ever be bending to the wishes of another, even if it is my mate.' _Giving one last sigh and studiously ignoring what sounded like a whip cracking in his mindscape, Naruto turned his attention once more to his patiently awaiting mate.

"...Alright, I'll do it for you. I may never trust the human masses around us, but I will at the very least try to tolerate their presence if it would make you happy."

That seemed to be the answer she was looking for, because all Naruto saw was her beaming smile before he found himself tackled by a yellow blur as they both fell back onto the fur bedding. Before Naruto could even begin to gather himself, he found himself once more under attack but this time by her wandering paws and her muzzle. After her paws lingered on a certain spot for longer than necessary, Naruto decided to speak up...well as much as he could.

"Mph...Renamon I thought you sai-mpphh...said that we shouldn't do this when 'gasp' G-Guilmon could see us!"

When she abruptly stopped her assault on his body, Naruto thought he had managed to talk some sense into her...well at least until he saw her face. Never in his life had he ever seen such a picture-perfect representation of the 'deadpan' look, and he honestly doubted he ever would again. However his attention was quickly drawn away from her face when he felt something _squeeze_ a certain part of his anatomy, causing him to let out an admittedly embarrassing squeak. Now a little panicked at the obvious threat to his lil' buddy, Naruto looked back up into the still deadpanned expression on Renamon's muzzle and did the best thing he could think of.

"...Yes ma'am."

And just like that, with but a tiny nod Renamon once more resumed her vicious yet oh so welcome assault on his body. Ignoring his now howling with laughter father and the now very-obvious sounds of a whip cracking, Naruto quickly launched his own attack on his mate's body...after all, if she was up for then he sure as hell wasn't going to complain. Letting his own paws begin to traverse his mate's body, Naruto retaliated against her with his own muzzle, finding and lightly nipping every hot spot on her body he could find. Judging by how her breath kept hitching and how she would reflexively buck every few seconds, Naruto figured he was doing pretty good. As a matter of fact, he figured if it kept going like this that they would soon find themselves getting quite-

"Umm...what are you guys doing?"

Naruto immediately flipped onto his belly to make sure that nothing of his could be seen, letting out a muffled yelp as mini-Naruto took one for the team. Meanwhile, Renamon attempted to play off what they were doing and frantically thought up a decent excuse; she was well aware that Naruto wouldn't be saying anything for about a minute.

"...We were just...wrestling! Yes, we were wrestling a little bit and as you can see, I managed to pin him good."

Guilmon seemed to ponder the explanation, but the look of suspicion was still etched all over his muzzle. Seeing this, Renamon once more began to think up an addition to her previous excuse. Thankfully she didn't have to, as the somewhat weak voice of her mate spoke up in a wavering tone.

'groan' "Guilmon...did you make sure you're all ready to go visit Takato?"

Luckily for the both of them Naruto's distraction worked. At the reminder that he was going to spend the whole day with Takato, Guilmon promptly dumped whatever lingering suspicions he had left and nodded before bounding out into the living room once more to wait for them impatiently.

Both waited a few moments after he left and then simultaneously let out a relieved sigh at the same time. Even though he was still feeling phantom pains, Naruto felt good enough to send his mate a sly smirk as he spoke up.

"Not when Guilmon's so close by, huh?"

However instead of looking embarrassed or sheepish as Naruto expected, Renamon returned his smirk with one of her own as she looked at him out of the corner of her right eye.

"Ohhh I don't know, I mean if he does start to ask more questions I'll simply let you give him The Talk, then we won't have to worry about that anymore, now will we?"

Naruto simply gaped at her for a few moments with his jaw wide open as he comprehended the being in front of him. The way she was looking at him out of the corner of her eye while her body was turned away from him with one paw on her hip and that damnable seductive smirk on her muzzle. And to top it all off, she turned his own game right back on him, to the point where he was the one on the defensive! Mentally he ran a series of checks. _'Sexy as hell? Check. Willingness to have some 'fun'? Double check. Sly as a...well a fox? Check. Mischievous as I am? Apparently check! Kami thank you!'_

Unfortunately the combination of all these traits resulted in a certain part of his anatomy rising to the occasion once more, which Renamon took notice of. Her smirk only grew wider as she spoke.

"What's this? So eager to get The Talk over with are we? Well who am I to complain?"

With that she began to slowly walk towards him, making sure that her hips swayed with every step she took. However even though the way she was approaching him made him wish for nothing more than to give in to both their desires, the lingering threat of The Talk managed to punch through his haze of hormones.

"N-Now hold on Rena-chan, we can do that all we want tonight. Besides, didn't you say you wanted to take me somewhere? At this rate we'll never leave, and I did promise Guilmon I would take him to see Takato."

Renamon knew all of this very well, and in truth she wasn't planning on doing anything with Naruto...well at least until night came. She had simply been giving into impulses that she had never before let out. Before she met Naruto, she most certainly had impulses and desires to do many things, but she knew that acting on them would only disappoint Rika. That being said, she had basically trained herself into an abnormally mature and calm kitsune. However now that she had met Naruto and he had straightened Rika out, she could finally let some of those pent up impulses out; what she just did was a direct example of these impulses. She would still be calm and mature in public, only showing affection to mild degrees when they were not alone...but in private, she let her true self out. Judging by Naruto's reaction, she was very pleased to say that he absolutely loved her true nature. However, she did want to take him out to some places, and to do so they needed to get going.

"Hmm...I suppose you're right my mate, but we _will_ be continuing this later tonight, Guilmon or no Guilmon. For now, lets relieve Guilmon of his wait; he had been very patient with us so far."

Naruto simply nodded his head and walked out with Renamon trailing behind him. He was still quite 'excited' by this new aspect of his mate, but thankfully he managed to hide any and all visuals of it behind his now fully-donned armor. Walking into the living room, Naruto addressed a now visibly-anxious Guilmon.

"Alright alright, we're here Guilmon. Now remember, Renamon and I won't be there long, just long enough to drop you off. You need to make sure Takato knows that everyone has the day off, and that everyone else knows this as well; we don't need mass-panic breaking out amongst the tamers, no matter how amusing it would be. You got all of that?" When Guilmon simply bobbed his head rapidly in response, Naruto chuckled at the display before continuing. "Alright then, hop on my back, hold on tight and we'll head on over."

Once Guilmon did as he asked, Naruto nodded to Renamon who nodded back, and soon the both of them were blurring out of his den, through the park and onto the rooftops of the city that surrounded Naruto's home. With a kitsune illusion shrouding all of them, Naruto had no need of changing into his human form, much to his pleasure. As they were hopping along the roofs rapidly approaching the bakery/home of Takato, the very welcomed voice of his father spoke up in his mind.

**'Well well, and here I thought that lovely vixen couldn't get any better. Now she goes and shows she had a mischievous side large enough to make any of our clan proud...you picked very well my son.'**

Naruto couldn't help puffing out his chest a bit at his father's words, regardless of whether or not anyone would see it; compliments were always a treat from Kyuubi.

'I couldn't agree more father. Kami, I can't believe that I finally found someone to be my mate, and here of all places! Not only that, but she's a digimon; a completely different species...well kinda. I've been thinking about it and its all quite confusing; from what she's told me, digimon are apparently made of 'data'...still trying to figure out what that exactly is, but from her explanations it sounds almost intangible, and most certainly not flesh and blood. Yet I have seen her bleed, and I have most certainly felt many _wonderful_ things of hers that by all accounts should not be there if she were completely data. Not that I'm complaining mind you, but it does pose a slight problem that I've been trying to figure out; she may be a kitsune, but because she is apparently made of data I'm not sure if we're compatible.'

A deep rumbling laugh was his father's initial reply before he spoke up once more. **'Ahhh, so is that what you've been doing the past few weeks during the evenings before going to bed? So young yet so eager to make a family to call your own eh? If so, I'm not sure why you went to such lengths to keep it secret, even to the point of blocking me out so even I don't know what you've been doing.'**

His father's voice held a large amount of confusion at the end, and Naruto had to keep back a wince as a topic he wasn't ready for yet was brought up. Alas, it was brought up and there was no stopping it now.

'Father! I'm not ready for a family right now!...even though I admit that was a main factor when I first thought about it. I do plan on having kits to call my own eventually if its possible, but to answer your question, no that's not what I've been doing during the evenings.'

**'Oh? Then what? What are you hiding from me son? Don't leave your old fox in the dark! If you do, I'll just start pestering you continuously...you know I'll do it!'**

Naruto's face blanched under all his fur at just what his father meant by 'pestering'. He should have never sent the manifestations of those infernal green monstrosities after his father! He should have known that if he could use it against the old fox, then Kyuubi could certainly use it right back!

'Alright alright just calm down! Whatever you do, I refuse to hear so much as a 'YOSH!' coming from my mind ever again! I can't tell you what it is, but I can give you a clue. The reason why I've been blocking you out is simple; I've been working on a gift for you.'

Whatever Kyuubi had been expecting, hearing that Naruto was preparing a _gift _for him was not it.

**'...A gift you say? Umm...son, while I love the fact that you want to give me a gift, need I remind you that I'm sealed inside of you? Any gift you prepare for me will be nigh impossible to get in here.'**

Naruto smirked at his father's answer; oh how he loved it when he knew something his all-knowing father didn't!

'You think I didn't think of that? Don't worry, I've got things all under control. Besides, who said that I ever intended on bringing the gift into my mindscape?' Naruto could barely hold in the cackle as his last words caused waves of confusion to emanate from his father. Before Kyuubi could question what he meant, Naruto cut him off. 'Anyways need to cut this conversation short, we're only seconds away from Takato's house.' And with that Naruto tuned out his now grumbling father and turned his attention to the bakery/house he was about to land on. With stealth and grace only given through years of rigorous training, the pads on Naruto's paws made nary a whisper of noise as he landed with his mate soon joining him by his side. Setting down Guilmon, he couldn't stop the chuckle at seeing the dino a few shades lighter than he normally was; perhaps he wasn't used to leaping across the gaping chasms between buildings?

Walking across the roof, Naruto stopped right on the edge, bent over to where he was leaning over it, and tapped the window to Takato's room a few times. It was quiet for a moment before he heard a muffled snort followed by a dull thud; apparently today was sleep-in day. Soon enough, a very bleary-eyed Takato opened his window and looked out of it with a confused expression, completely unaware of the still-illusioned kitsune hovering just above him. However when he felt something literally yank him out of his second-story window, Takato gave out an impressive shriek; well he would have if not for what felt like furred gloves covering his mouth. Once he was abruptly dropped on his own roof his confusion returned in waves, for there was Guilmon. On his roof. In broad daylight. Thankfully before he could voice his considerable concerns vocally, Naruto decided to intervene once more. Letting his illusion wash over Takato as well, he watched with amused eyes as the boy had a small panic attack at him and Renamon suddenly phasing into existence.

"Now now, no need to get all panicked Takato. We're just here to drop Guilmon off, he'll explain the rest once you both are alone. Oh, and I'd hurry off this roof if I were you; we wouldn't want your parents getting suspicious, now would we? Consider it part of your training. Ja ne!" And with his brief explanation done, both Naruto and Renamon disappeared from sight once more, with Renamon now in the lead and Naruto following.

Turning her head just enough so that she could view Naruto while still paying attention to what was in front of her, Renamon spoke up, and the amusement was all to clear on her voice.

"Leaving them on the roof like that with such a vague explanation and quick departure...you didn't even keep the illusion over them, did you?"

Naruto didn't even try to hide his cheeky grin as he answered back. "Nope!"

His response was for Renamon's eyes to sparkle in even more amusement than before as she laughed and once more focused the path they were taking. After a few minutes of both jumping from roof to roof in companionable silence, Naruto decided to get a few details of the day hammered out.

"Okay, so you're going to be taking me to a few places that will have plenty of humans inside of them, correct?" When he got a nod he continued. "Right. Well we obviously can't just waltz in there as two very tall kitsunes; while it might be a very amusing thing to see, its one thing we don't need at the moment. So before we get to wherever our first stop will be, find an empty alley near where the location is so that I can cast a few advanced henge jutsu over us. Normally a regular henge would suffice, but in such a crowded area, I don't want to risk someone bumping up against us and feeling fur instead of skin. When we arrive I'll explain the rest."

Both once more fell into a companionable silence as they darted across rooftops at heights that would have made anyone else white with fright. Judging by how Renamon was starting to veer in one direction in particular, Naruto assumed that they were approaching their destination. However, that did not mean that he wouldn't take full advantage of and treasure the sight of his lovely mate's lithe body as she jumped ahead of him leading the way. Oh yes, she was most certainly right when she said they would be continuing their previous 'activities' later this night, he would make sure of it now. Unfortunately for Naruto he was right in his estimations, and soon both were on the ground of an empty alleyway, well out of sight from any would-be observers. When Renamon's curious gaze met his own, Naruto remembered that he still had to inform her of the plan.

"Sorry about that Rena-chan, I spaced out for a minute there. Now then, this advanced henge I'm going to cast on the both of us will in essence transform our bodies. I don't want to get into specific details, but basically any excess mass that was lost during the jutsu is stored in a dimensional pocket, just like with my sealing scrolls. Upon releasing the jutsu, the excess mass will once more return to you as your body once again reshapes itself. If there is not enough mass for the desired transformation, the needed mass will be made out of the caster's youki; its one reason most don't use this jutsu...creating mass from energy has an abominable conversion rate even for my nearly unlimited reserves. Once again, when the jutsu is ended, the excess mass that was created will break down into youki again. The process is completely painless; I myself have done it many times before, just be sure that the form you want is pictured clearly inside your head, and my jutsu will do the rest. Oh, and be careful to not hit anything to hard when the transformation is complete; it may be a very powerful jutsu, but a hard enough hit will still be able to disrupt it, causing an immediate return to original form. Any questions?"

Renamon just stared at him with one thought going through her head. _'...That's the _basic_ explanation? I don't want to hear the complicated version in that case.' _However, the did have once question that had been brought up during Naruto's lengthy explanation.

"One actually. While I'm grateful for that rather detailed explanation, why didn't you just tell me to picture the form I wanted as long as it was equal to or smaller than I am now?"

Naruto smiled at her question; he had been hoping she would ask that. "Because knowledge is power my dear, but power without knowledge is death. I intend to teach you this technique eventually with some others if at all possible, and it is essential that you understand the jutsu before you try to create it. As with anything with the potential to be deadly, you must first know everything about the jutsu before you attempt it; what it does, the limitations, the nature of the technique...everything. Did that answer your question?" A nod. "Alright, now imagine what you want to look like and keep that image. Once you have it simply nod your head and I'll start."

Renamon did as instructed and closed her eyes as she tried to figure out just how she wanted to look walking around as a human. She would admit she was a little vain, so obviously she wanted to have a beautiful human body. Next on her priorities was the color of her hair; it may sound silly to others, but to a kitsune whose entire body was covered in primarily one color it was quite important. She wanted to retain her height as well, no shorter than 6'. So with this in mind she began going through a mental list of people she had seen that fit the criteria...and unfortunately for her, tall, blonde and sexy women were _quite _uncommon in Japan. As a matter of fact, the only one she had ever seen was from a glimpse while she was watching television. While Renamon readily admitted that she wasn't the most knowledgeable being when it came to a human's anatomy...in fact she hadn't even seen a human without their clothes on; she _highly_ doubted that a hole drilled right through the chest cavity was naturally occurring in humans, no matter how many times Rika told her the people she saw on the television were in fact real people called actors. But...really she hadn't seen any other human female that met the criteria, and she certainly wasn't going to try and make a form up on her own with her limited knowledge of human anatomy, so she would just have to modify it a bit. Remove the hole, lengthen the clothes and get rid of the high collar, and she had the image. She barely payed any attention to the nod she gave, making sure that the image she wanted was crystal clear in her head. A few seconds passed and she felt Naruto's unique 'youki' spread over the both of them. It was odd to her when she almost instantly felt her tail and fur disappear, and it was quite disconcerting when she felt her head change shape into the more rounded head of a human. When she opened her eyes once more, Naruto stood before her in his human form with a few changes. His eyes, teeth, hands and feet had all lost their feral appearance, and his whisker marks had lightened to where they merely appeared as faint scars. His armor was now replaced with black attire outlined in crimson. He now wore black baggy pants that had two crimson lines going down each side, black sandals, and a black Haori with a crimson under-vest. In her opinion; very easy on the eyes.

When Naruto opened his own eyes from concentration, he had a similar, but much more active reaction to the being in front of him. Standing at a little over 6', at what he guessed was about 6' 1", was the most drop-dead gorgeous blonde he had ever seen. She had a blonde/golden hair color, the very same color as her previous fur, which was now spiked in an untamed mane atop her head, with the exception of a few very long strands hanging down from the back of her head and the sides. Surprisingly, even her eyelashes remained a golden-blonde, as did her thin eyebrows. Her face in particular was absolutely stunning, with her smooth facial features and the perfect-tan skin complexion. The rest of her body impressed him just as much, for even though she wore a somewhat loose fitting white kimono, it was tight enough to where he could easily make our her hourglass shape and her _very_ generous assets. Taking his eyes off her body, Naruto once more locked eyes with her own, which were oddly drooped if only slightly. However this did not take away from her beauty...no, it only seemed to amplify her still glacial blue eyes. (For those of you who figured it out last paragraph, have yourself an internet cookie. Yes folks, Renamon chose her human form as Tia Harribel, just without the hole, the mask, and with less revealing clothing with blue eyes instead of ocean green.)

For Naruto, he didn't think anything could have held a candle to Renamon's true form, but he had to admit the form she chose for her human guise was putting up a good fight. So good a fight in fact, that when he tried to say what was on his mind the words were lost in translation from his brain to his mouth, therefore what he intended to say came out in a slightly less eloquent fashion.

"...Damn!"

His oh so sophisticated response to her human form caused Renamon to smirk and approach the still stunned form of Naruto. While she was no expert on the human body, it was all too apparent that she had picked her form well, judging by his gaping visage and the bit of blood she could see running from his nose. Once she stood right in front of him she pressed her own body against his while she wrapped her arms around his waist and spoke.

"Hmm...it seems the form I chose was the correct one. To be honest this was the only one that I thought suited me, and judging by that small trickle of blood coming out your nose, I guessed right."

That seemed to snap Naruto out of his gaze, and as he quickly wiped the blood from his nose he took the time to slowly scan her human form with his eyes, making Renamon flush under his scrutinous gaze. When his gaze finally returned to hers after his observations, all was still for a moment before he smirked and spoke.

"Yes...yes I most certainly agree with you there Rena-chan, you chose _very_ well." As if to emphasize his point, Naruto engulfed her in a toe-curling kiss for a moment before he pulled back. It may have just been a second, but that kiss was _passionate_!

"Well now, lets get going shall we? You have places to take me!"

With a smirk of her own, Renamon grabbed one of Naruto's hands and led him out of the alley and onto the busy sidewalks of the Shinjuku ward.

While Naruto had to restrain himself from flinching due to being around so many humans, he was doing better than he thought he would; that didn't keep him from being hyper-aware, though. While Renamon was leading him to wherever they were going, Naruto absently reached into one of his pockets and felt for an item inside; a wallet to be exact. He let out a small sigh of relief when he felt it; it was one he pilfered from the corpses of the gang he killed after they tried to rape a women. He emptied it of all it contents except for what was obviously the currency of this world, doing the same to the others and adding it to the once he currently had. He may not know the value of the currency in this world, but the way the wallet bulged with cash reassured him that he had enough for whatever Renamon wanted to do.

As he returned his attention back to the surroundings, he took notice of the attention they were receiving. While most of the adults of both genders were openly staring at either Renamon or himself, what really confused him was the looks of shock or awe that was directed at them from a good portion of the children...well actually their attention was completely and utterly on Renamon with looks of recognition and disbelief. Turning his attention to his mate he saw that she was looking a little uneasy from all the attention as well, even if it was just from the slight narrowing of her eyes that gave it away.

"Rena-chan...any idea why all those children are looking at you with recognition and disbelief?"

She thought about it for a moment and had an idea as to why she was receiving such attention, but trying to explain such to Naruto whom had never even watched television would be an act in futility, so she came up with the next best thing.

"Possibly. The person I chose seemed somewhat popular with the younger age group when I saw her, so there is a high possibility that they are merely recognizing the image, even though I modified and changed a good few things to make sure I wasn't an exact replica. Anyways, I don't think it really matters all that much and if worse comes to worse we can easily escape if needed. Besides, we're here."

Somewhat surprised that they were at the first destination, Naruto looked at the building in front of him with slightly raised eyebrows. He had seen glimpses of this building when he was leaving the park but never really investigated it any more. As a matter of fact it was located just across the street from Shinjuku Park's perimeter, and as such sought to emulate the feel of the park. Surrounding it was a thin moat of water almost completely covered in water-lilies, while the building itself was of considerable size and was stylized as a large, relatively short pagoda with a red and gold color scheme. Placed in the four corners of the lot were impressively large Willow trees, while the building itself had a multitude of windows that those inside could look out of to enjoy the scenery.

Looking inside as they both crossed over the bridge that went over the moat, Naruto saw many oddly dressed people inside. However, while they were oddly dressed, he did not miss the quality of the clothing they wore, nor the way they carried themselves as they went about their business. Glancing down at his rather plain garb, Naruto for the first time in a long time felt a little...out of his league.

"...Hey Rena-chan?"

Hearing the small hint of nervousness that laced his voice, Renamon turned her head and fixed her mate with an inquisitive look. "Yes Naruto? What's wrong?"

Looking back at the admittedly impressive looking building they were entering, Naruto responded.  
"Not to seem unwilling or anything, but aren't I a little...under-dressed for this place? I may not know much about human interaction, but I can recognize wealth and high-class, and this place screams both."

Renamon gave Naruto a once-over with her eyes and did admit that he may have been slightly under-dressed for the place, but really only his baggy pants were out of place, and even they had a grace when Naruto wore them.

"...I admit maybe a little bit, but it should be fine. Besides, they won't turn down a pay...ing...oh! I knew I was forgetting something! Naruto we need to go-"

Seeing where she was going with this, Naruto simply pulled out the wallet from his back pocket and waved it in front of her a few seconds before returning it to said pocket with a smirk on his face. Before she could question him on it he spoke up.

"I know we need money Rena-chan. I may know next to nothing about humans, but you forget that I am the leader of the Kitsune Clan; literally a nation in and of itself. While our ways are _very_ different from those of the humans we still have an economy, and as the leader I need to be well-versed in such matters regardless of whether I'm there much or not. If the situation is dire enough, one of my advisers will personally come here to ask what course of action should be taken. And before you ask, I got this money from the gang I 'liberated' that woman from. After all, to the victor go the spoils of war."

Renamon grew slightly solemn at that little reminder of the gruesome event, but quickly regained her composure as they approached the entrance. In a whisper that only Naruto could hear, Renamon quickly shot out some advice and orders.

"Alright Naruto, until we're seated I need you to stay quiet and by my side. This is my first time doing this obviously, but I've guarded Rika enough times while she went here to know what to do. I'll do the talking for now, alright?"

Not waiting to see if he nodded or not, Renamon approached the Maître de' as he addressed both while sending only a minute disapproving glance at Naruto's pants.

"Welcome to the Shinjuku Sanctuary, where you can put your busy lives to the side as you enjoy the tranquility of our establishment. Do you have a reservation?"

Renamon stepped forward while Naruto remained silent as he had been told. "No sir, but are there any spots open by chance?"

The man quickly opened the folder he had been carrying and scanned through its contents. After a few moments of studying the list the man spoke up. "Yes actually, we actually have several. Is there a location in particular you would like to sit at?"

She thought about it for a moment before looking outside at the Willow trees. "Do you have a seat by one of the Willow trees?"

He simply nodded and with a curt, "Follow me." he walked off towards the back of the establishment with Renamon and Naruto and tow, the ladder of which had to keep himself from being to obvious in his sniffing...this establishment had some _very_ nice scents wafting around in it. They soon arrived at a quaint table with two chairs located near a back corner of the establishment and were seated, after which the man left to continue his vigil at the entrance. As soon as he was out of sight, Naruto ran through a few handsigns before he whispered, **"Howaitonoizu"**. There was only the slightest of shimmers around them before it quickly disappeared, and Naruto answered Renamon's questioning look.

"I just used a sound suppression jutsu. "Howaitonoizu", or simply put "White Noise", doesn't actually suppress our voices, it simply jumbles them. Anyone listening in on us will merely hear low murmurs. Now that we're seated, where exactly are we, and for that matter _what_ are all those scents I smell?"

Renamon chuckled at Naruto, who she could tell was barely keeping himself from drooling.

"Well, this is a place that Rika and her family like to visit quite a bit, and its called a restaurant. In here we're given pamphlets called "menus" that list a variety of different foods and drinks on them. A person called the waiter or waitress will come by and ask us what we want, and we tell them what food and drink we want. After some time, the waiter comes back with the requested food and drinks, and we eat...simple as that."

Naruto stared at her for a good minute and absolute bewilderment, trying to absorb this utterly new concept to him. Finally he spoke, with is voice carrying every once of his incredulity.

"So let me get this straight. This place basically feed everyone visiting in exchange for money." A nod. "And they do this for the entire day...breakfast, lunch, and dinner." Another nod. "...They must be amazing hunters to gather so much for so many." Naruto looked around at the people working at the establishment in a new light...they may be humans, but even he would be pushed to provide food for so many, especially in a place like this that had so little hunting grounds! However he was interrupted from his musings by Renamon's snicker, then finally her laughter as Naruto stared on with a clueless expression on his face. When she finally regained her composure with only the occasional snicker, Renamon spoke.

"Naruto...they do not hunt the food. Don't ask me how it works because I myself am not sure, but they have a way of preserving food like you do back in the den. The food is provided from someplace far from here, they simply choose the food you requested and prepare it. There is no hunting involved, they simply cook the food here."

Naruto was about to ask another question when what had to be their "waitress" walked up and gave them their menus and informed them that she would be back in a few minutes. While the images presented to Naruto within the menu made his mouth water, the words that listed what must have been different foods made absolutely no sense to him, so he decided to simply have whatever Renamon was having. After a few minutes that Naruto spend ravenously inhaling the scents around him, the waitress came back and Renamon ordered something called "Tempura" with water, so he did the same. It was annoying having to recast his jutsu every time someone addressed them, but to him security was a must. Once the waitress was gone once more, Naruto decided to start a conversation.

"Well I will admit, so far it has been enjoyable. Sure the people here might be a bit on the stiff side, but the environment is pleasant. I honestly didn't expect the humans here to have an establishment that focused on a natural theme, considering the fact that we're in a city of towering metal and glass."

"Even humans need a bit of nature every now and then Naruto. And as far as the 'stiff' humans go, the next place I plan on taking you will have your more typical human, at least from what I've seen. I just chose this place because of its environment and the fact that I've been here many times before, even if I was concealed in the shadows each time."

They continued to make small talk as they waited for their orders, and Naruto brought up his interactions with Impmon and Calumon, much to Renamon's interest. Both had been noticing the increase in activity lately, and each came to the same conclusion that something behind the scenes was gearing up; for what they did not know, but that didn't stop them from preparing themselves as best they could. Fortunately such foreboding thoughts were dumped from their minds when the waitress came back with two plates of Tempura, two bowls of dipping sauce, two glasses of water and...sticks?

Renamon had to keep in her chuckle when she was Naruto staring at the chop-sticks like they were some strange entity. It was fun informing her mate of the ways of humans and watching him try to adjust.

"Those are called chop-sticks Naruto, you use those to eat your food. Watch how I hold mine and copy."

It took a few tries and a few muttered explicatives, but Naruto had finally managed to hold them right. Once he did, he copied Renamon by grabbing some of the Tempura, dipping it in the sauce bowl, and popping it in his mouth. Satisfied that he could take it from there, Renamon turned to look out at the willow tree next to them as she chewed. Because of this she completely missed the widening of Naruto's eyes.

"Naruto, do you think we could possibly get a few Willow trees to grow in the training complex by the lake? Possibly use some type of seal that emulates the sun? I think it would make a very relaxing addition to-" 'Thunk'

Somewhat startled by the thud on the table, Renamon turned to Naruto to ask what it was. "Naruto, do you have any idea what tha-NARUTO!"

Now, one might ask just what caused Renamon to shout Naruto's name at the top of her lungs in such a high-class restaurant. To answer the question, many factors must be considered. First off was the fact that Naruto had never had freshly cooked food...ever. Even during his days in the village, the food he found was oftentimes located in the dumpsters in alleys, and had long since lost its freshness and warmth. Living out in the wilderness under the tutelage of his father, he had lived off the land eating the raw meat of the animals he hunted. After all, in Kyuubi's opinion at the time, the animal retained the most of its nutrients when ate fresh, which was true. He became used to this, and as such had simply never tasted the food that humans prepare for themselves. Now take into consideration that he was in not only a human establishment made to prepare food for people, but a _high-class_ establishment that catered to a higher standard, meaning their food had to be of an even higher quality than normal human-prepared food if they were to keep customers coming back. Now integrate in a hungry kitsune in disguise that had never known the wonders of cooked food, much less cooked, spiced, and high-quality food. And last but not least, work in the factor that caused Renamon's shout; Naruto in his bliss had completely abandoned any and all etiquette and reverted back to his baser functions, having dumped the entire bowl of sauce all over his Tempura, where his face was currently located.

Renamon was quick to haul Naruto's face out of the plate by his hair, all the while giving a sheepish and completely embarrassed grin to the incredulous stared coming from all around them. Naruto finally seemed to gain enough of his wits back to realize he was no longer consuming the ambrosia before him and lifted annoyed eyes to his mate, whose own eyes were just as annoyed, if not more.

"Naruto!" Renamon hissed, "You will get control of yourself immediately or so help me I'll take that dish away from you and you won't have another bite!"

Renamon was now very glad for that sound-suppression jutsu that Naruto cast, for her words caused him to take a panicked look down at his food and let out a _very _vulpine whine; one that humans could not emulate. After a few moments of staring down longingly at his food, Naruto nodded his acceptance of the terms and reluctantly grabbed hold of his chop-sticks once more while Renamon cleaned his face of all the sauce on it with an exasperated sigh. Soon enough, both were back to eating their own dish, one with relish and the other with a pout at his utensils, but also with a look of euphoria every time he took a bite. With a few more minutes of conversation after they had finished their respective meals, the waitress returned will the bill, which Naruto quickly paid with a generous tip as Renamon instructed him to.

Both were quietly enjoying the scenery outside after their meal, each quite content to let it digest in silence as they gazed at the Willow tree and the Koi fish swimming in the water. Unfortunately for them, their peaceful gazing was violently interrupted by a wave of power washing over them from a wild one, causing both to freeze up in place. While Naruto was _far_ beyond this level of power, what truly concerned both of them were two factors. One was that unlike the previous wild ones, this one's power levels was significantly higher that those felt previously. Even the strong champion level digimon they had fought didn't hold a candle to the power they were feeling, which told them that it was most likely a high-level ultimate, possibly even a low-level mega. The second factor and by far the most disturbing to them was that the area the power was emanating from felt uncomfortably close to Rika's household...and she had no digimon there at the moment. There was a pregnant pause as they both stared at each other for a moment before they blurred into action, Renamon latching onto Naruto as he used the highest speed he could access without harming Renamon, completely ignoring the shocked looks they received as they literally disappeared.

It would seem that their hidden foe had finally decided to start his plan.

**Ending notes: And there you have it, chapter 9 complete! I know I know, what's with the long-ass wait? Two factors really. First and foremost; college has started up once again. Factor in the fact that I'm going to class full time **_**and **_**working, and you have one busy author. Second factor? While I do enjoy writing for you all, it is not my only pastime. I enjoy other activities as well, but have little time to do both now, therefore I must split up the little time I have to do both. Now then, for those of you who don't know I had posted a short story for FFVII to tide you guys over until I released this chapter...but according to the 60-something views it has received, I got the feeling you guys didn't see it. Up to you if you want to read, its a bit of a tear-jerker, but before you get mad at me for how it goes I have more news! That story is but the prequel to a far larger story, one that is the VERY FIRST of its kind...no one has ever done it before, I've checked, double checked and freaking triple checked. The character I am going to use (Cloud will still be main char) has never been used in a fanfiction story to my knowledge...ever. Now don't worry, it won't affect my two ongoing and top-priority stories, it will merely be one that I will update when I have the time. I truly hope you like it though, as I have high hopes for it. Now then, on to review ****answers!**

**Magician Girl Mirani: Hey there, nice to hear from you again! As to your question; yes I gladly give you permission to use the 'castrate with a rusty cheese-grater' idea...I must admit I was rather proud of that one.**

**Zero Vector: Thank you for your review and your honest opinion, I appreciate it greatly. As for your observation; you're absolutely correct, Naruto is essentially power personified. He essentially has the power of the former Kyuubi stacked with his own considerable power...yeah, its a bit frightening should he choose to unleash it in full. HOWEVER, while he may be just shy of a demigod, I want you to contemplate what I'm going to tell you right now, and for those of you who don't want to be given a clue on future events, DO NOT READ THE NEXT PART! While he has power practically oozing out of him, his flesh is still flesh, he can be cut, stabbed, shot, etc just as easy as the next being; he's just much better at dodging/blocking it...but he's not impervious, remember that.**

**Narudevilfan: Children? A very high possibility as this chapter has shown, but if it does come to pass, it won't for a while yet.**

**Mcv: Training for Impmon? ...That would be telling! :P Actually I'm honestly till on the rope about that one, but you will see in the next few chapters. As for 'doing it' yes they are very active in that aspect. The reason why they do not have a child is because one: they are not ready for one yet, and two: right now they can't; data+kitsune=incompatible.**

**Ef9283: Good question! The main reason is quite simple; whereas Kyuubi and Naruto are obviously two complete separate entities, Guilmon is Megidramon's _reincarnation._ The Megidramon that Naruto visited in the mindscape was merely a representation of the memories from that life.**

**Eduardo: Thank your for all the questions, I'm glad to see you're so enthralled by my story. Unfortunately, answering them all here would pretty much ruin a large chunk of plot for everyone else. If you really want these answered ahead of schedule, say so in the next review and make an account so that I can privately answer your questions. Once again thank you for the interest in my story.**

**Tano Narhuine: Good questions! For the training, you must remember that it hasn't even been a month into their training yet, though it is approaching that mark. He first needs to get them in shape before he starts them on any style. As for weapons, I've considered them many times and I am seriously considering implementing them, but as stated before they needed to get in shape as a top priority. As for Rika's grandmother, yes she has seen Renamon, but has _not_ seen Naruto yet, though that will soon change. You'll see how she views them in due time, and I guarantee you'll enjoy it.**


	10. And the gears begin to turn

**Alright, here's chapter 10 of "A Fox Among Tamers" and before any homicidal thoughts wander through your heads, there are a couple of reasons _why_ I took so long. Number 1: College...good Lord, _COLLEGE_. I had apparently selected classes in which the professors' favorite thing to do was assign massive projects. Repeatedly. At the same time. Needless to say when I wasn't doing those I was most likely trying to cool down my brain before it became molten and leaked out my ears. Number 2: I wasn't working on the next chapter for _this_ story during that time; I was working on the one for my Harry Potter story, which if you will notice has been updated quite recently. On top of annoying ass projects it was the chapter in that story that held the training arc...and I HATE TRAINING ARCS!...however they need to be done to lend credibility to the story itself. The problem arose with me trying to balance between making sure the arc wasn't too long, yet long enough to give credibility...not fun for me. Eventually I finished the chapter, posted it and have since been working on this one at a fair rate faster than my previous one, mainly because I am far past any 'training ark' in this story and it's on a roll.**

**READ PLEASE! Before we begin I need to say something about this chapter; the main event in this chapter and one of the events in an upcoming chapter have been reversed from the original anime in order of happening...then again I'm obviously not going exactly by the anime now am I? :P Just wanted to state this so people don't have conniption fits over it; if you do and rant in a review about it, you will simply be ignored because I stated it here already.**

"**You want me to talk into what?**" – Kyuubi/kitsune speaking, jutsus/digimon attacks

"Get that thing out of my face!" – Normal speaking

'_What the hell was that thing?_' – Thoughts/thinking

'Hello?' **'Hello?'** – Thought-speak

~~~Scene Change~~~ : Obviously denotes a scene change.

-(Location)- : place of current scene.

**Disclaimer : I do not own anything belonging to Naruto or Digimon. However, I DO own this story.**

**-And the gears begin to turn-**

Naruto and Renamon had barely began heading in the direction of the powerful digital reading when both nearly stumbled at the obvious cause of the emergence of such a powerful digimon. Above the city, and directly above a large two-towered building, a giant rip seemed to shimmer into existence from the sky itself. So caught up in the sight of what appeared to be a dimensional rip, Naruto didn't notice Renamon's state.

"Naruto!"

Snapping his head in the direction of her voice, his eyes nearly boggled as he found her in the air desperately trying to grab onto anything as she was seemingly pulled towards the rip. Instantaneously Naruto dropped both of their henges, he returning to his 'human' form with armor and she to back to her form with her own armor. Immediately after he body flickered to her position in midair, grabbed onto her and flickered into the forest in Shinjuku Park, where Renamon immediately wrapped her arms around the trunk while he made sure she was secure. Oddly enough, though the portal was obviously some type of vortex, it did not affect him.

'Father, you have any idea what's going on here?'

**'...I have a theory son, but you're not going to like it.'**

'Out with it father! Renamon nearly got sucked into that thing, I don't care if I don't like it!'

Heaving a sigh, Kyuubi internally braced himself while he spoke. **'-Sigh- Alright kit, but don't say you weren't warned. You remember me giving you my theory about what enabled that IceDevimon to mask itself so well? That signal that was attempting to disrupt the signals of digimon?' **Getting a mental nod, he continued. **'Well, from what I'm feeling it's that same signal, only made into a final product of some sort. Last, I don't think it's coincidence that the rip is right above that large building; I'll bet whatever is making it is there.'**

It took Naruto only moments to find out what his father was saying, and when he did he lost his hold on his human form, immediately shifting into his hybrid ashe snarled out one word.

"**Yamaki."**

Hearing the demonic, rage-filled snarl of her mate's voice, Renamon dragged her attention away from the vortex and to him.

"What? What's wrong Naruto?"

"**Yamaki. You remember that man I told you about that wants to destroy all digimon here?" **A nod. **"I'll give you one guess as to who's behind that vortex's appearance."**

Renamon's eyes widened at the implications, but before she could say anything their attention was once more brought to the portal as small digimon could be seen flying towards it, their forms beginning to break up like a bad signal as they neared. Thankfully, Naruto with his superior eyesight could tell none of them were ones he knew, yet the confused voice of his mate drew him back once more.

"Wait...we felt what was supposedly a powerful digimon emerging...not this vortex. So that begs the question; where is it?"

Not long after her statement, both felt the pull on her begin to decrease at a fast rate, and looking up it was confirmed as the digimon whom had once been ascending to their demise were now falling...possibly to their demise anyways from that height. Yet the answer to her question came in the form of the vortex widening and actually _depositing_ a large feline digimon onto the top of one of the towers, where said digimon let out a triumphal roar of victory.

"...Never-mind."

"**From what I'm feeling and from what you've informed me of, that digimon is a high-ultimate to low-mega...but that can wait a moment, we need to find Rika first, followed by the other tamers."**

Nodding in agreement, Renamon quickly led Naruto in the direction she could feel her connection with Rika pulling her to, and soon both saw her small figure running down a street in the direction of the anomaly. Rolling his eyes at the girl's reckless yet brave nature, Naruto proceeded to retrieve her in the quickest manner possible.

"**Keep heading towards that digimon, I'll be right back."**

Mid-leap in-between two rooftops, Naruto's form disappeared in a flash of flames before reappearing via another flash right behind Rika, still in his lunging position midair.

Before Rika could even turn around at the sound, she felt two very furry, very warm arms wrap around her before her vision was enveloped by flames. When she could see again, her eyes widened and a very un-Rika like shriek erupted out of her mouth when she found herself careening over the gaping chasm between two _very_ high buildings. However she quickly calmed down when she heard chuckling coming from her right and from whoever was holding her and discovered upon looking that it was Renamon to her right, which meant she could only be in the paws of Naruto. While still not exactly comfortable careening over dizzying heights, she still managed a scowl/pout as she remembered her shriek, eliciting chuckles once more.

"**Relax, Rika. We need to get to that digimon as quickly as we can, and you know we're a good deal faster than you are, no offense."**

Rika nearly jumped out of her skin when Naruto spoke up; while the being holding her was no doubt Naruto, his voice could only be described as menacing, more a guttural growl than anything.

"W-What happened to your voice?"

While she did not outwardly express it, Renamon too was curious as to why his voice had taken suck a deep, nearly demonic tone. She had heard it a few times before when he was under either considerable stress or...pleasure, but never deemed it something to bring up.

Meanwhile, Naruto was mentally cursing his emotions. Renamon's sudden flight combined with his fury at who was behind said flight made for very powerful emotions and an overdose of adrenaline. All these factors caused him to essentially slip into his form most suitable for battle (and feasible considering the surroundings) while his voice took it one step further and went straight to his natural, full-kitsune voice, albeit not nearly as booming considering his size. Deciding on a half-truth for now, Naruto answered.

"**As you know I am a kitsune, Rika. However, the voice you usually hear is not really my true voice. Yes it has the same nuances, but the tone and pitch are both far different. While I can and typically do use the voice you are used to, my vocal chords are far different from a humans and as thus I tend to slip back into my natural tenor under times of high emotions."**

Rika seemed to accept this at face value, but the look Renamon shot him said that she did not. He quickly shot his own 'I'll tell you later' look back at her and focused his attention on the buildings in front of them once more.

Just as Rika was about to enquirer as to why he was experiencing such high emotions at the moment, Naruto finally caught sight of the other two tamers with their respective digimon and cut any questions off.

"**I know you have more questions Rika, but right now is neither the time nor the place. I've found the other tamers amidst this chaos; Renamon follow close behind me."**

Renamon followed his gaze and spotted the others as well, but her brows furrowed when she also noticed several other children with them as well; two boys and a girl to be precise.

"Naruto there are other children down there, are you sure you want to be seen?"

The way his own brows furrowed and how an annoyed growl emerged from his throat was all the answer she needed; she herself was quite annoyed by the fact that other children had been dragged into such an event.

"**Of course I don't, but it seems we have little choice in the matter. Either one or both of the other tamers deemed it fit to expose their status and their digimon to these other children...and judging by how Takato is gesturing to the two boys, I'd wager it was most likely his idea. Hiding us within an illusion would be an exercise in futility at this point." **Taking a moment to rub his forehead, his next words were nary a whisper that only Renamon could hear. **"I suppose this is revenge for the times I would make a foo**lish decision and drive you to insanity, father?"

Only Naruto was able to hear the booming laughter in his head as he managed to regain his 'normal' voice.

Shaking his head in weary amusement, Naruto steadied himself on the ledge of the last building before leaping off of it and free-falling towards the other tamers. This of course caused Rika to cling to him like a tick as he landed silently behind the group with Renamon phasing in beside him.

"Making new friends, are we?"

The sudden sound of his voice so close behind the group caused a variety of responses. Takato made an impressive leap into the air, Terriermon nearly fell of Henry's head while said boy whipped around before calming, while Guilmon (much to his and Renamon's amusement) merely turned around and waved happily at them. However the actions of those he did not know were the best. The boy with the glasses turned around, fell and promptly scrambled backwards on his ass when he took in Naruto's visage. The girl merely turned around and froze in place, while the last boy with the spiky brown hair had the most amusing response; turning around, pointing at him and shouting out his elegant response.

"HOLY FUCK!"

Naruto's only response to that was to twitch at the brat's loud voice and raise an eye-ridge while mentally wondering at the child's rather colorful vocabulary. Dismissing the three he did not know, Naruto turned to the four he did while managing to pry off Rika and set her down.

"I thought we had already discussed _multiple times_ what to do in case your partners were discovered, yet here I find myself looking at three children I have never seen before that quite obviously know of your partners' identities, judging by the fact I saw the girl _talking_ to Terriermon before I arrived. It would seem my lessons did not sink in; we'll have to rectify that later. Before you or anyone else say anything in your defense, please speak _quietly_, lest we draw the attention of that rather large digimon."

At his second to last statement Takato paled while the other tamers shuddered, knowing exactly what that would entail.

"J-Just wait a second Naruto, it wasn't my fault! They bumped into us while we were running around a corner and happened to both hear and see Terriermon shout out in surprise before he assumed his 'doll' persona. I can explain away Guilmon as being my kid brother in a suit...but Terriermon is the size of a baby-" "Hey!" "-and I've never heard a baby speak, much less one dressed up to look like a digimon!"

Naruto stared at a now sweating Takato for a few moments before sighing and nodding his head in acceptance; he couldn't much blame the boy for that, it was just poor circumstances. During this time the other three children managed to snap out of their shock, and it was the most verbal the unsurprisingly spoke up.

"Hey! Takato you said that you, Henry and Rika were tamers and I recognize Renamon, but who is this guy? That would be four digimon to three tamers, and you said a tamer only had one!"

"Err...actually Kazu, Naruto isn't a-" -WHAP- "-gah!" Takato nearly ate asphalt as one of Naruto's tails smacked the backside of his head. Looking up at Naruto with a confused look, he was only met with a warning glare from the kitsune, which only served to confuse him further. About to voice his confusion, Henry thankfully beat him to the punch, having figured out Naruto's silent message.

"What Takato was trying to say is that Naruto isn't your regular digimon. As a matter of fact, he has been a...mentor of sorts for us while helping us adjust to our new roles as tamers." Looking out the corner of his eye at Naruto, he saw the kitsune give a minute nod at his answer.

Unfortunately for Naruto, his attempt to hide his true nature from those he didn't trust had an adverse effect that he did not foresee. The now named Kazu, upon hearing Henry's explanation, had a surprising amount of brain activity for one such as him. A: The seven foot tall, blood red kitsune in front of him that looked _awesome_, wore _ninja armor_, and had a huge _sword _strapped onto said armor was a digimon. B: Said digimon apparently _taught_ these other digimon, including the tamers how to fight, so he had to be good. C. This digimon does not have a tamer. And finally D: Kazu does not have a digimon. What does this equal in Kazu's mind? Get that digimon.

While Kazu was having a minor epiphany, Naruto was now paying full attention to the large digimon on top of the building before them. During the entire conversation he was continuously paying attention to the creature, only paying some attention to the actual conversation when needed, and now it appeared the digimon had stopped it's rather pointless roaring and was now fully taking in it's surroundings, which would undoubtedly lead it to them quite soon. Naruto tensed at this and could see Renamon do the same from his peripheral; good to see at least his mate was taking the situation seriously. _'I've only got a minute, maybe two at most before things get heated around here...a fight of this scale will undoubtedly cause some destruction, so I've got to get the tamers to a defendable posi-'_

"Sweet! I call dibs on big red here!"

Naruto's tactical thoughts were derailed as Kazu attempted to grab his arm, which he easily evaded with a warning glare that the brat didn't even notice. The boy with the glasses apparently realized what Kazu was trying to do and decided that he too wanted Naruto for himself.

"No way Kazu! I saw him first!"

"I call bs! I was the first to turn around, and even if I wasn't I was the first to call dibs!"

"That doesn't count in a situation like this! We're talking about a REAL digimon here, and who gets to tame him!"

"In that case, calling dibs should matter even _more _than usual!"

"No way!"

"Yes way!"

This sudden fight had varying reactions from everyone else. The new girl looked embarrassed, yet was now giving Naruto her own appraising gaze until she shrunk back, eyes scared once more. The tamers and other digimon sans Renamon were watching the fight with amused gazes and outright snickering in the case of Terriermon. Renamon was looking quite annoyed and on the verge of being pissed at the horrible timing. And Naruto...well his reaction was the reason the girl became frightened once more, and only because she was actually looking at him. At first he could only stare incredulously at what was happening, but that quickly turned into a _very_ pissed glare with his lips curling back into a snarl, revealing his array of razor sharp fangs. This was only accentuated by his father's identical reaction inside his head.

'They're...they're fighting over something that has NOTHING to do with the situation at hand while managing to completely derail my thoughts on the scenario before us! Not only that, they've successfully drawn the tamer's attention AWAY from the threat and their shouting is like a beacon to lead that digimon right to us after I _specifically_ told everyone to be _quiet_!'

**'I agree, but you don't have time for any further contemplation on these idiot's actions, son! You only have seconds before that digimon locks in on your current position!'**

Being in complete agreement with his father and also being completely pissed at the situation made his next comment very mood-changing.

"**Be silent."**

While it was only spoken loud enough for the group to hear, the demonic, guttural voice that was practically a growl due to his icy rage was enough to quell any further fighting or amusement at the situation. Even Renamon turned wide eyes to her mate, surprised at just _HOW_ pissed off he was.

"**Both of you will listen to me and follow _everything_ I say. You will both, with the girl as well, go into the building behind us and if it has a basement, enter it. If it does not, you will find the most structurally-sound area and go underneath it until I come for you. After this is over I _will_ continue this conversation. Go."**

As the three now terrified children quickly did as he said, Naruto whipped around to the stunned tamers, and while his ire was not directed at them, his voice did not ease.

"**Because of those fools we are now mere seconds away from being spotted by that digimon. Rika, what does your device read on him?"**

With somewhat shaky fingers, Rika turned her d-power to the digimon and read off the information only a second later.

"Mihiramon. Holy-Beast type digimon. Data attribute, level: ultimate. That's it though."

Naruto scowled at the utter lack of knowledge on their foe but didn't waste any time stewing over it. **"Right. I want all of you to-" **the rest of the sentence was cut off by Henry who received a _very _impatient glare from the kitsune, but nevertheless spoke up.

"Naruto-sensei, I'm sorry for interrupting but this would be a perfect opportunity to let us truly work together as tamers for the first time. You said so yourself that we need some experience, and what better than an ultimate?"

Whatever retort Naruto was about to say what ripped from his throat when he felt Mihiramon's energy suddenly spike and speed towards their position. _'Fast!'_

"_**Fuck! **_**Doton: Gizagiza no monorisu !" **(Earth Style: Jagged monolith)

The street not even 15 feet from the group exploded outwards as a massive chunk of what appeared to be granite jutted out from the ground, striking the tiger-like digimon and eliciting a roar of rage and pain from said digimon as it careened into a nearby building from the impact. Turning to the now-gaping group, Naruto spoke quickly.

"**Even for my training methods this battle would be considered a bit much for a true first team-battle, but if you all think you can take this digimon then I'll grant it. However! If you all even so much as _seem_ like you are in mortal danger I _will_ interfere. Henry, as we've discussed you're the tactician; get to it. You have two minutes before I let that tiger loose." **

Without any further words, Naruto's form blurred and another roar from Mihiramon was heard before Henry started instructing the team on the plan.

While Henry was making a plan and informing the tamers of it, Naruto was in the meantime waiting just outside the smoke and debris from where Mihiramon made a new door...a very large one. Keeping his senses on full alert, he kept his eyes on the smoke but his other senses focused on everything but the front; rarely does an experienced enemy perform a frontal assault. Sure enough, not even five seconds later he ducked as what appeared to be a segmented staff whipped over his head, before deflecting it with his sword as it came around again. Jumping away to gain some distance, Naruto turned around and was a little surprised to see that the segmented staff was actually Mihiramon's tail.

_'Huh...interesting adaptation, there. He's fast too, at least mid-jounin in speed...it's a pity I can't reveal my 'human' form or else I'd actually have a decent challenge on my hands.'_

When the rather large winged-tiger ended up pausing, Naruto assumed it was observing him as well. He didn't mind; whatever conclusions it could draw from what little interaction they had was absolutely nothing compared to his true arsenal.

"_**And what manner of digimon are you, hmm? A subspecies of a Renamon, perhaps? Regardless, why are you protecting these pathetic humans and their pet digimon? We already know you don't have a 'tamer', so why are you doing this? Trying to find one, maybe...pathetic, though I admit that being able to deflect my attack was no small feat."**_

In all honesty, had this digimon spoken to him just after Naruto arrived in this world, his words would have most likely been met with a hearty agreement. While Naruto still held a rather large dislike for humans in general, he now no longer had any desire to actively pursue the harm of them, mainly due to his interaction with the tamers. Granted, the initial interactions were shaky at best, but over time they proved to him that not all humans were as he thought; at least some had honor and morals. So with this in mind, while Naruto was not particularly perturbed by the disgust Mihiramon obviously had for humans, he _did _take offense to the disgust directed at _his_ humans, and especially the hatred when he referred to their digimon partners. As he answered, he had to hold back from smirking as Mihiramon flinched ever so slightly from his rather demonic voice.

"**Quite a few questions you have...very well, the reason I'm doing this is because I can be considered their sensei; each and every one of them, both tamer and digimon." **This drew a snarl from the tiger. **"Tsk-tsk, you haven't even let me finish yet! Now you know my reasons, as for what I am...pay very close attention to this, Mihiramon."**

With that last statement, Naruto slowly reached his left arm to his right, with Mihiramon watching his every move with tense muscles. Once there, he simply grabbed a tuft of fur and pulled it out (dead fur, people) and after holding his hand out, dropped it. His actions left Mihiramon baffled at how this could answer his question as to what the fox was...until he noticed the fur was now lying on the ground. Not dissipating into code. Not digital. With wide eyes Mihiramon whipped his head up and stared into the now smirking visage of Naruto.

"_**What is the meaning of this? You're not a digimon but you're not any species I know of either, and I have access to every single species discovered on this planet! I highly doubt a race such as yours could hide from these rampant humans for so long, so where did you come from?"**_

Naruto let out a laugh at this, but with his voice the was it was it might as well have been a snarl. **"Ahhhhh...the fear of the unknown, how refreshing; for me that is. I really don't see any advantage in me telling you where I came from or just how I came to be, so I simply won't."**

This garnered another snarl from Mihiramon before he tensed up once more; obviously the time for words were soon drawing to a close.

"Very well, I'll just have to rip the answers out of your tortured cries after I'm done with the other insects; remember creature, the Deva are not to be trifled with ."

_'Deva huh? I'll remember that.' _**"You're rather confident, aren't you? I've got two words for you:"** Here Naruto's smirk grew rather big as he said the last part so everyone could hear. **"Two minutes!"**

Mihiramon had just enough time to utter an intelligent "Huh?" before he was pelted with a storm of bullets, nine blue fireballs, and one _hell _of a huge fireball, sending him once more into the building he just exited.

_'Now that's odd...the blue fireballs I can get and the bullets too...but I don't recall Guilmon ever putting out a fireball that big. Nice combo though.'_

As Naruto scratched under his chin absently while staring at the larg_er_ hole in the wall, the tamers walked up to where he was standing, along with a very large fox and an apparently now-in-control Gargomon...however when the sun was suddenly blotted out, his curiosity was piqued. Looking up while still scratching his chin, Naruto raised his eyebrows in surprise at the towering form of what appeared to be an overgrown Guilmon with horns and a mane of white hair who was currently looking back down at him with a mightily pleased expression upon his face.

"**...My what big teeth you have."** Ignoring the muffled snorts in response, Naruto looked back at the tamers and allowed a proud smirk to adorn his features. **"You all have been training/practicing on your own free time while keeping your abilities hidden...how shinobi of you. However, don't think this will be easy in any way, this guy's fast; very fast. As in me going full speed without my seals in human form fast, Rena-chan."** _That _garnered open shock from Kyuubimon while the others looked worried at the open show of expression from her; it was rare for her to ever show so much around them. **"Lastly, watch out for his tail; turns out it's a rather nasty weapon I'd suggest you avoid. Everything else can be gathered from his appearance...be careful and don't blink."**

As if on cue, Mihiramon was barely a blur as he rammed into Growlmon, throwing him away from the group as Kyuubimon and Gargomon took off after the two, and the fight officially commenced.

Growlmon struggled to get the even larger form of Mihiramon off of him as said tiger tried to take a bite out of his hide, just barely being held back by Growlmon's straining arms. Thankfully for him, Mihiramon was forced to jump back to avoid a spray of bullets, yet took a direct hit from Kyuubimon's **Dragon Wheel** which had been aimed in the hopes of him doing just that.

Growling at the annoying yet surprisingly painful attack, Mihiramon retaliated by swinging his staff-tail and scoring a glancing blow to Kyuubimon's flank, sending her skidding back while eliciting a yelp of pain from her. Frustratingly, before he could pursue her to continue his assault, he had to avoid a **Gargo Laser**. Now pissed at the constant interruptions, Mihiramon turned his sights on Gargomon as he clubbed Growlmon with his tail, set on taking out the long-range annoyance. Now ignoring the other two, he quickly covered the distance between the two and with a cry of **"Tiger Wing Blades!" **sent the far smaller digimon careening into a nearby building and out of commission.

Seeing their companion taken out with a single well-placed hit from the ultimate, Growlmon and Kyuubimon exchanged worried glances before settling into defensive positions to cover the their weak-spots. They had just seen first-hand what Naruto meant when he said Mihiramon was fast; they could barely see his form blur before Gargomon was put out of commission.

Back with the tamers and Naruto, the tamers were looking on with a worried expression while Naruto had only a frown; it wasn't that he was upset at their performance, quite the opposite in fact. The problem was they were simply outclassed and outgunned. This digimon was a borderline mega and quite obviously an elite; no matter how good, three champion level digimon would be hard pressed to defeat such a foe. Worse yet was the sheer size of Mihiramon; even with Guilmon's massive growth-spurt into Growlmon, the tiger still dwarfed him and simply towered over Kyuubimon and Gargomon. That combined with Mihiramon's sheer speed, and it all came down to simple facts; his massive girth combined with blinding speed made him into a nigh-unstoppable force when in motion. Hell, if Naruto himself didn't use his youki to remain in place, he would have been sent flying if he tried to parry that tail like he did.

Snapping out of his musings, he took stock of the situation and, just like he thought, it was getting worse. Henry had just returned with an out-cold Terriermon in his arms, while Growlmon and Kyuubimon were simply having their defenses battered down. While they were defending each other admirably, they were once again simply underpowered compared to the speeding train that was Mihiramon. All to soon, the massive tiger finally landed a direct hit with his **Samurai Tiger Tail** onto Growlmon's flank, sending him skidding while simultaneously rendering his legs useless for the moment. Their defenses broken, Mihiramon quickly took advantage of this by using his sheer speed to get behind Kyuubimon – a position that was formerly protected by Growlmon – and once more used his **Samurai Tiger Tail**, but this time directly onto her spine, eliciting a howl of pain as she crumpled like a bag of bricks.

Seeing these events occur, Naruto formed the sign to **Kawarimi **with Kyuubimon and take her place, but the reactions of the tamers made him pause. While Takato was looking exceedingly worried at Growlmon's state and sending Naruto expectant glances, Rika was looking as if she was in actual pain, holding a spot on her back that coincided with the exact spot Kyuubimon was struck. That, combined with the glow her d-power was giving off and the determined look in her eyes were what ultimately stayed his hand, though he was still ready to switch at the slightest sign of trouble.

None of this was on the mind of Renamon nor Rika at the moment; both were completely focused on what they would lose should they be defeated. For Rika, she would her very first friend, and the one who stayed by her side even when she treated Renamon worse than one would a tool.

_'Come on Renamon, get up! Don't let this guy bring you down...why isn't Naruto jumping in? If this doesn't describe a dire situation then I don't know what does! Dammit, Renamon I won't let you die, LIVE!'_

For Renamon, once more she found herself in danger of losing not only her friendship with Rika, but the love of her life as well. However, unlike last time where they could have possibly taken out their adversary in their rookie forms, they didn't even stand a chance in their champion forms against Mihiramon, who was currently preparing to end her life.

_'No! Not again, not like this! I refuse to come all this way just to die at the paws of this brute! I will LIVE!'_

Unbeknownst to both Rika and Renamon but suspected by an observing Naruto, their willpower merged due to both of their thoughts; the all-encompassing simple need to _live._ It is this that unlocked the next evolutionary stage for Renamon...well that and a certain tiny white digimon named Calumon shooting a red beam from his forehead, much to Naruto's surprise.

'Well now, isn't that interesting? Seems there's more to Calumon than meets the eye, eh father?'

**'Indeed my son, however shouldn't you be paying attention to the matter at hand, and more importantly, your mate?'**

Giving a mental 'nod' of agreement, Naruto turned back to Renamon to see exactly what he expected; her entire form glowing a brilliant white as she digivolved to the next tier while Rika was holding an odd blue card.

DIGIVOLUTION

Unlike her transition to Kyuubimon wherein her form literally shed itself until nothing but a wireframe remained, this time she launched herself into the air, appearing as if she were to launch a **Fox Tail Inferno**. It was at the apex of her jump when her glowing form shifted into a considerably larger form, which soon after landed, creating a small dust cloud. Aforementioned dust cloud was soon swept away a long sleeve, after which her new form was both seen and proclaimed.

"Taomon!"

(I really don't see a point in describing Taomon...simply google "Taomon" and you'll get a far better picture than I can describe: the same goes for any digimon unless I feel a need to do otherwise)

Naruto smirked at the name, figuring he should have seen this coming due to the yin-yang symbols that littered her rookie form. He was quite glad to see that her size was now far more evenly matched against Mihiramon than before; no longer could the brute simply bulldoze her down. However he was quite shocked with what she did next.

Taking no time to revel in her newfound strength, Taomon flung her sleeves forward and with a cry of **"Thousand Spells!"** launched what had to be...well..._thousands _of red paper tags at Mihiramon. While the tiger was extremely fast, his size finally came back to bite him in the ass, as he found he could not maneuver his massive body through all the tags, and as a consequence was hit with a good amount of them which exploded upon impact.

This scene stunned Naruto into silence, for while it was a very nice wide-area barrage move, it was the actual tags that caught him off guard.

_'What the hell? They may be red and they may be 'spell tags', but they act and resemble watered-down explosive tags waaay too much to be a coincidence!'_

Back with Taomon, she let the slightest of smirks work it's way onto her visage as she heard the roar of agony and fury, but stayed alert nonetheless; she may be stronger in this form but her new body proportions were throwing off her balance slightly. However her smirk grew upon remembering that this form wasn't meant for physical limberness, but for long-range tactics. Both hearing and feeling the air displace around her, Taomon jumped up in time to avoid Mihiramon's attack, yet to the surprise and shock of the onlookers...the didn't fall back to the ground.

While the tamers were gaping at the sight and Taomon continued her fight with Mihiramon, Naruto had a grin on his face as he went through all the tactical advantages this offered her.

"Well damn, that's a neat trick."

Mentally however, his thoughts were entirely different.

'Hmm...father, humor me for a second here. During youki control drills, the tree walking was easiest because I was walking against a solid surface, correct?'

**'Although there are a few youki control drills that are even more basic than that, yes, it was easiest because you were walking upon an already solid surface; you didn't need to mold the surface using your youki to make it solid.'**

'Right, and water walking was more difficult because I was taking a liquid and not only making my youki repel me from the surface just enough to stand on it, but I was having to form a solid surface of water with my youki at the same time, right?' Getting an affirmative, he continued. 'Ok, so here's my idea; I've already done waterfall walking as you know, and that was even more difficult because the surface was far more violent and dispersed...why not take it to the next level...air? Gas is a liquid, just an incredibly spread-out one, so theoretically all it would take to air-walk would be an even greater youki-control and an increased use of youki to actually bring together enough air to walk on it. The last one isn't a problem as you know; youki capacity has never, and will never be a problem.'

Kyuubi was momentarily stunned at Naruto's theory; no one had ever really given any thought to walking on air, yet here his son comes up with a sound theory just after watching his mate float for a bit. Due to most, if not all of their opponents being on the ground (or water) back in their world, there wasn't really a point to do such, and as such no one ever even though about it. But looking through his son's eyes at Taomon, he could definitely see the advantages one would gain if they mastered this ability.

**'Ha! Leave it to you to come up with a groundbreaking discovery like that just from observing someone essentially float. But as to your theory...yes it should be possible, though as you said the amount of control needed for it would be even greater than your current control. We'll ponder this later though, for now pay attention; I think it's just about done.'**

Turning back to the fight, the tides had turned. Whereas once Mihiramon had a massive advantage with his large size and speed compared to Kyuubimon's small stature and somewhat slower speed, he was now facing the worst possible match he could have. Taomon, while somewhat frail in stature, specializes in long-range attacks, and reinforced this position by her ability to essentially float wherever she pleased. While Mihiramon had to perform sharp turns and aerial maneuvers with his wings to even attempt at reaching her, she could float whichever direction she pleased regardless of her orientation; he couldn't. Lastly, was the fact that his attacks were all close-range..._all of them_. If he couldn't get in close to her, he couldn't hurt her, and judging by the smirk she was wearing, she knew it.

Naruto had to fight back the snort that wanted to escape at the irony; Mihiramon toyed around with them at first, and now Taomon was toying with him in a deadly game of attrition; a game she was clearly winning. However, any and all traces of composure left Naruto when Mihiramon, having finally been wore out, tripped up on a landing and smacked into the side of a building in exhaustion, which Taomon was quick to take advantage of. Completely oblivious to her mate's bugged-out eyes, Taomon withdrew a _massive _brush from one of her sleeves (though how she fit it in there remains a mystery; it's nearly as big as she is) and drew a kanji in the air with her energy alone.

"**Talisman of Light!"**

The effects were immediate and, although not flashy, devastating. The symbol she drew in the air superimposed itself on Mihiramon, who before he could even utter a word of protest, utterly shattered into thousands upon thousands of red data, which Taomon promptly absorbed. The incredibly anticlimactic ending to such an epic fight left everyone who witnessed the sight blinking dumbly...well everyone except Naruto that is, who still had his eyes locked onto Taomon's brush like it was God himself.

Said digimon finally calmed down after the vortex above lost it's anchor (Mihiramon) and collapsed in on itself, leaving a clear blue sky behind. Turning around after returning to solid ground, she finally took notice of the gaping expressions on the others' faces, and actually took a step back when her eyes found Naruto's form gazing at her brush with a fanatical gleam in his eyes. She managed to take one step back towards the group before a wave of exhaustion hit her, no doubt from not only digivolving twice in one battle, but from fighting a high-ultimate class digimon whilst doing so. De-digivolving back into Renamon, she put her paws out to brace herself but soon found no need to, considering the red furry arms that suddenly wrapped around her midsection.

"Whoa there Rena-chan, that fight really tired you out hmm? You did good...better than good my mate, and now you can rest."

Renamon was just about to do just that before he spoke up once more; the mirth in his voice sending a small shiver down her spine.

"Oh, and love? We'll talk about that neat little brush and _allll_ the things I'll teach you to use in conjunction with it later."

Waiting only a moment to see if he was done talking, Renamon quickly passed out in his arms bridal-style, leaving a thoroughly content Naruto to bring her back to the tamers. Rika, upon seeing her partner out cold ran up to Naruto with the others trailing behind, but before she could say anything Naruto beat her to it.

"Before you ask Rika, Renamon's fine, she's just a bit tired. To the rest of you; all of you did a good job. I know what you're thinking...'How did we do a good job when we were beaten?'. First off, you technically weren't beaten; Taomon finished him off remember? Second, there wasn't much you could do with the time frame you were given. Mihiramon was simply too fast, large, and experienced for champions to take him down. If you were given enough time to set traps and plan contingency plans...maybe, but the fact is you didn't and had a severe disadvantage from the start. The fact that you were able to hold him off for so long despite all the glaring disadvantages speaks very well of you. That being said, all of you are coming with me to the underground training complex until I can be certain that no more of these 'devas' are around. Before we do that though, I have a few brats I need to pick up along the way."

Ignoring the dubious looks the tamers and digimon sent to each-other, Naruto turned in the direction of a particular building and marched towards it, either not noticing or, considering it was Naruto, simply ignoring the civilians that were beginning to trickle in the area. Upon entering the building he immediately headed down to the basement, where in a corner under support beams three children huddled, all looking quite frightened, though whether that was from his entrance or the battle that just took place, he couldn't tell. Naruto didn't say anything as he approached, nor did he let any expression adorn his muzzle as he approached and finally stood in front of them, looking down at them with an apathetic expression. Motioning to the tamers and digimon behind them, who all came and rested either a hand on Naruto or someone who was, Naruto turned back around and before they could do anything, put one paw on them before they all disappeared in a flash of fire.

-(Underground training complex)-

They all appeared once more inside the massive cavern, which by this time has it's small lake completely filled. Most stumbled around, still not entirely used to Naruto's method of transportation, while the three newcomers outright heaved; Renamon only grumbled in her sleep. Waiting until they were done, Naruto moved them to rest against one of the massive support columns as he incinerated their mess with a small katon (fire) jutsu. Once done, he made his way back over to them and again simply stared at them with an apathetic expression upon his muzzle. This continued for a minute before he spoke, yet it was not with the demonic voice they remembered him speaking with. Instead, it was a soothing baritone with a solemn tone to it.

"War, fighting, battle...it sounds exciting when you hear of it, play games about it, even more so when you're told tales about it, doesn't it? I'll admit, there are those out there that take great pleasure from such things, I myself can become excited in the heat of battle...but this is no game, and there are no second chances in a war; you either kill or _you _are killed. I once thought like you three did, thinking such things were 'cool' and that I'd become some hero who would save the day."

Here he leaned forward as they slightly leaned back, all of their eyes locked onto his own piercing gaze. The tamers and digimon were now paying full attention to him as well, having barricaded the basement door so curious citizens couldn't eavesdrop. This was a rare chance to see a little into the past of their sensei, though why he was telling it to people he just met eluded them.

"Well let me tell you three something; a hero may be revered by the people he protects, but to the people he protected against, he's a mass-murderer." Ignoring their gasps he continued. "You're probably wondering what I mean, and you're also probably wondering why I don't sound as angry as I did before. I'm not angry at you three, what I'm angry at is your attitude towards the situation; you three think it's some game!...and I shared similar thoughts, at one time. You see before I came here I was a mercenary where I'm from, and I did jobs varying from escorting, sabotage, espionage, assassination, even downright war. It was during my third escort mission that I was stripped of such naïve thoughts; I had to simply escort a merchant to a village. The pay was rather mediocre because the danger was considered minimal; bandits at most. What my employer failed to inform me of is that he was transporting war materials within hidden compartments inside his caravan. Naturally, the faction that was opposed to the village getting the goods decided to send a small contingent of soldiers to either destroy or claim the goods as their own."

Here Naruto took a breath, not exactly looking forward to the next part.

"When they attacked I did not take the time to observe them, I simply acted; kill or be killed. It was only after the battle was done that the true face of war reared it's ugly head. Looting the bodies, as is custom for the victors, imagine my surprise when I came across one that was still alive, especially considering the fact that the entire contents of his intestinal tract were spilled out on the ground around him due to a rather nasty abdominal slash wound. I made the mistake of looking at his face, and was horrified to find the face of a child staring back; he couldn't have been more than twelve years old. Even worse was the look in his eyes; the same look I shared at that moment. '_This is real, I'm actually dying./This is real, I actually just killed a kid.' _He didn't say anything and he didn't have to, he simply stared back at me with the eyes of a scared child; eyes that didn't belong on a battlefield. Then, he reached into a pocket, withdrew a piece of paper, looked at it, let one tear slip down his face, and died. When I looked at the paper he had, the last part of what innocence I had left withered and died, for it was a picture of him, surrounded by his smiling parents. Upon entering the village, the merchant spread the word and I was soon regarded as a _hero_" here Naruto spat the word like a vile poison "for protecting the resources needed to possibly win their war. And yet, somewhere in that other village, a father and mother were waiting for a son to come home that never would. Undoubtedly they eventually learned of what happened, and I have no doubts that I was, and still am considered a monster to that village; and I don't blame them in the slightest. The moral of the story? War isn't fun. Fighting isn't fun. Battle isn't fun. The adrenaline rush you get while fighting, the excitement you feel being able to push your limits against someone just as eager? You can enjoy that. The act of ending a life when it was either them or you? _Never _enjoy that. I understand you three didn't truly recognize the situation for what it was, but hopefully now you do. That being said my last requirement is this; never look so excited at the prospect of participating in a war in my presence ever again. Rika, Henry, Takato, you three fill them in on the rest of the situation. I have no doubts in my mind that they'll hound you until you do, but they will also keep quiet about the situation, won't they? (cue warning glare) When you're done filling them in just have Terriermon or Guilmon flare their digital energy and I'll transport you all out of here."

Without another word, Naruto flashed away with Renamon, leaving a stunned group behind.

Arriving back in the main rooms of his home, Naruto set his mate down gently into their bed with a gentle kiss on her forehead before heading into the washroom. Splashing some water onto his muzzle, Naruto rested his head against the wall and closed his eyes as he tried to remove those haunting, _scared_ eyes from his mind.

**'You're never going to forgive yourself for that, are you my son?'**

Heaving a sigh, Naruto wearily rubbed the bridge of his snout as he replied.

'Can you blame me? Granted I don't like humans in general, but that was a kid that was simply fighting for what he thought was right. I know it was either me or him, but it still doesn't remove the memories or the faces.'

When silence was all that greeted him, Naruto decided he had enough of moping about for one day and abruptly dunked his entire head into the cold water of the pool.

"Damn I needed that! Enough self-pity, I've got better things to do..." Here Naruto let a sly smirk cross his muzzle. '...like finally reveal to you that gift I've been working on for you.'

_That _got Kyuubi's attention.

**'About time! You don't know how much you've been torturing me by blocking me out whenever you worked on whatever it is...speaking of which, what is it? More importantly, how can it affect me when I'm sealed in you?'**

Chuckling at his father's eagerness, Naruto headed out into the central living area and over to a large pile of rags near the wall as he responded.

'You'll find out very soon, father, and I think you'll be pleased at the results.'

Bending down, Naruto removed the top fur to reveal not more furs like Kyuubi expected, but...blood bags? Peering intently through his son's eyes, he noticed that underneath the bags was a rather complicated seal painted onto the stone.

**'Son? What is thi-'**

'Shhh...just watch, father.'

Naruto stepped back, and after making sure there were no furs within the seal, started blazing through an incredibly long sequence of hand seals, after which he slammed his paws down on the seal itself while he proclaimed his jutsu.

"**Ketsueki āto: Gōremu no kokoro shoji!" **(Blood art: Golem mind possession)

Immediately upon his proclamation, the seal on the ground lit up a brilliant blue while the blood bags simultaneously burst open; their contents merging into one massive glob of blood. Within the seal, Kyuubi looked on with wonder until he felt a tug and without further warning, blacked out.

Naruto looked on with excited expectation as the blood began to form a very recognizable shape, after which the blood congealed and began to change. Within a minute, a replica of Naruto was standing where the blood used to be with one sole exception; this one had blood-red eyes instead of glacier-blue.

Just a soon as he blacked out, Kyuubi soon found himself looking into the excited eyes of his son...not in the mindscape.

"Welcome back, father."

**Ending notes: There you have it, chapter 10 complete with yet another cliffhanger! -cackles maniacally- Anyways, I would once more like to apologize for the rather extreme time period between the last update for this story, but that's life for you. Also, considering this is the first chapter with a fight of considerable importance...how'd I do? Please feel free to share your opinion; it's the first large-scale battle scene I've written thus far, though it certainly won't be my last. I know in my Harry Potter story I stated I would post review answers at the beginning of new chapters now...but a reviewer brought up a good point; why torture those who don't read the review answers with pages of them when I can just post them at the end, where those who do want to read them can? (Shout out to mitremlap: thanks for the good point!) That being said, I present (to those whom are interested) the review answers!**

**Ignisha: A good point...if it was typical canon plot. If you recall earlier in the story he was only in Konoha until the age of 5, and before that he did not have anything that could be considered a decent meal. In his world up until the point he left, he was learning from his new father, the Kyuubi. A kitsune. Fox. Not human. His eating habits have reflected this in the story. But still, it tells me you're interested in the story, so that's good! :)**

**Shadow: A good question! One I'm not going to answer for now! :P Reason why should be self-explanatory; it would be paramount to watching a movie, coming out and telling those who are about to watch it what happened at the end; it ruins the entire thing :)**

**Magician Girl Mirani: That's honestly an avenue that I haven't thought of, giving the other digimon human forms...but I probably won't. Reasons why: the only reason Naruto did give her a human form, even if only temporarily is so they could enjoy their relationship in public without everyone screaming about humanoid foxes ^^;**

**paradox: They don't tip in Japan? Huh...learn something new every day...but hey, thanks for pointing that out, good attention to details!**

**Kiyomos: You mean his lapse of control with the food? Well, think of it this way: in the village up until he was five he was lucky if his food didn't come from the trash, and it was most certainly never fresh or cuisine. After that he ate animals raw while he was being trained by Kyuubi. Now considering that up until now he only knew the taste of old, rotten food or raw animal. Now factor in the fact that he's now being introduced to a restaurant that specializes in making high-quality food; food that must bring back high-class citizens with a very hard-to-please palette. Now factor in a good-food deprived kitsune-in-disguise...see where I'm going?**

**Vaughnd22: "i came up with the idea that naruto reveals his true form either battling the devas or the d-Reaper I dont care witch I just wanna see it."...ok, I'm not entirely sure if you're either staking a claim or requesting something...if its the first one? Mighty bold claim you have there, and I don't appreciate you trying to stake a claim on an idea I have hinted at multiple times throughout this story via review answers; I may have said I would give credit to a person who suggested an idea and I used it (like Magician Girl Mirani), but that does _NOT_ mean you can try and claim an idea that has already been hinted at multiple times: you have been warned if this was your intention. If you were requesting something...I already have the story planned out, little things like armor for Renamon that won't drastically change the story I may or may not add...but don't ask for something that would obviously have a huge impact, such as when he unveils his true form, regardless of if it might happen that way or not.**

**Sgt. Nolisten: I know you didn't have a question but I'd just like to thank you for reading past the first three chapters...they were rough and I've fixed the dialogue so it's not so painful. As for Naruto...yeah, he's a demi-god and I won't deny it. However just like you claimed, while he IS the main character hands down, his involvement in the fights will be minimal unless circumstances deem otherwise. And while he may be a demi-god, he is still flesh and blood; he isn't made of steel, and mistakes can still be made given the enemy is clever enough.**

**Fearsome Shadow: -laughs- Believe me, it can be a pain making sure I have my facts right. It's been _years_ since I've watched either Naruto or Digimon, so I have to continuously go back and either do some research or watch clips of episodes to refresh it. (You have NO idea how annoying it was to get an approximate size scale for Taomon...there are no height statistics for her. At all. Had to eyeball it via an episode clip.) Thanks for the support! :)**

**Tano Narhuine: Sorry that I didn't really inform everyone that I was still alive, but other than sending every single fan a personal email, I couldn't. Posting an update/chapter for the sole purpose of informing people of my status is against the contract I agreed to that enables me to submit stories on here. I'd rather not have my account shut down for something so trivial ^^;;**


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